Communication expert and former adviser to David Cameron on European affairs, John Kaponi, commented on political developments in the United Kingdom following Keir Starmer’s resignation, as well as the ongoing debate on Brexit ten years after the 2016 referendum.
Speaking to Politis 107.6 & 97.6 and the programme Morning Briefing with Katerina Eliadi, he said:
“After Brexit, England changed, the world changed, and the stability that historically existed in England has somewhat been lost,” adding that the country is facing an unprecedented situation. “We have had seven prime ministers in ten years, which is unprecedented for England,” he noted.
Public expectations have shifted
According to Kaponi, citizens have become far more demanding of governments and no longer show the patience seen in earlier periods.
“People here no longer have patience. They want immediate results and they want to see action,” he said.
Views on Brexit today
Asked whether the British public has changed its stance on leaving the European Union, Kaponi expressed the view that the country has now adapted to the new reality.
He revealed that although he himself voted to remain in the European Union in 2016, today he would not support rejoining.
“I was one of those who voted to remain in the European Union. If you told me there was a referendum tomorrow on rejoining, I would refuse,” he said.
As he explained, both the United Kingdom and the European Union have changed significantly over the past decade.
“Europe has also changed now,” he said, noting that the UK has turned towards developing new partnerships and trade relationships with other countries.
Economy and future political direction
Kaponi also rejected the portrayal of the British economy as being in deep crisis due to Brexit.
“We should not get the impression that the UK is doing badly. The UK is not doing badly,” he stressed.
Referring to Starmer’s likely successor, Andy Burnham, Kaponi said he is a politician with a strong presence in local government but limited experience in foreign policy matters.
He added that Cyprus should move quickly to establish communication channels with the new Labour leadership, as its positions on the Cyprus issue and geopolitical developments in the region are not yet known.
“We must act immediately here in Cyprus to try to communicate with the new team and understand its views on the Cyprus issue and the region,” he said.
