Brits: Obama Should Mind His Own Business on EU Vote

Even Supporters Resent Obama Meddling

President Obama’s visit to Britain has centered heavily around him lobbying against the Brexit referendum, demanding that Britain remain a part of the European Union, and even threatening to punish Britain if they vote to leave.

Though Obama has previously expressed a preference for a united Europe, he is believed to have been pressured by Prime Minister David Cameron to “bully” voters during his visit, as polls have shown British voters split roughly down the middle on the matter.

They may be split on leaving the EU, but Britons are more uniformly against President Obama’s meddling, with many saying Obama should mind his own business. While the pro-Brexit advocates loudly condemning Obama’s comments as hypocritical, even many who agree with Obama say they resent the “patronizing” Obama.

Even worse, they say, Obama’s comments could easily backfire and bolster the campaign to leave the EU simply to spite the foreign leader arriving in London to issue demands. The US has seen similar “warnings” ahead of votes in other countries going poorly.

Ironically, David Cameron, initially raised the prospect of leaving the EU to try to negotiate better terms with the Union, but as the dispute grew, he’s been left desperately trying to make sure the vote doesn’t pass, warning of an economic calamity if Britain withdraws.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.