The majority of the British people are fed up with the UK government’s unconditional support for Saudi-backed terror groups amid deepening economic problems at home, says a political commentator in London.
Dr. Rodney Shakespeare made the comments as his country was holding a crucial referendum to decide its future in the European Union (EU).
Britons headed to the polls on Thursday to partake in a much-anticipated referendum on whether their country should remain a member of the EU or leave the 28-member bloc.
“The people who are voting Remain, are doing so because Europe itself is corroded, rusting and it is collapsing,” Shakespeare told Press TV on Thursday.
He said the pro-EU side is intentionally turning its back on two major issues, namely job opportunities and immigration.
“The jobs coming into existence, if they coming at all, are low-paid, temporary, zero-hours,” Shakespeare said. “And at the same time you are not getting any good, well-paid, secure jobs coming in.”
The Vote Leave campaign believes leaving the EU would allow Britain to take back control over major issues like immigration while paving the way for thousands of new job opportunities.
“On top of this, is the issue of refugees,” and suspected Daesh terrorists who are flooding the European borders backed by “Wahhabism and Saudi Arabia,” he noted.
Hundreds of thousands of refugees are still fleeing conflict-ridden zones in Africa and the Middle East, particularly Syria which has been grappling with foreign-backed militancy since 2011.
Many blame the support by some Western countries for militants operating in the Middle East as the main reason behind the departure of refugees from their home countries.
Shakespeare said London’s failure to address the root cause of the refugee crisis, along with the economic instability inside the UK, has pushed nearly half of Britons to the Leave campaign.
He said the supporters of leaving the bloc are basically in “revolt” although they are well-aware of the fact that leaving the EU would not immediately make “better solutions” available to their leaders.
Shakespeare then referred to instances of public discontent with regards to the EU in other European countries, arguing that a Brexit will inspire similar movements across the Europe.
“There is a great discontent and it is being reflected in the UK referendum and whoever way it goes, in or out, you have half the population who are upset and they want something done in a big way on the economic front and to address the cause of Daesh and ISIL, and that is the Wahhabi regime in Saudi Arabia,” he explained, adding that the current UK government is supporting the Riyadh regime.
Britain is a major provider of weapons and equipment such as cluster bombs and fighter jets to Saudi Arabia. The kingdom has openly expressed support for militant groups fighting the government and the people of Syria.
“That is why you have a lot of people say they have had enough,” Shakespeare said. “We have had enough of the elite which has put us into debt, which is sucking up the wealth to the one percent; we have had enough of the elite which is supporting Daesh,” Shakespeare noted.
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