Alex Clarke's interpretation of the Brexit vote draws on conversations with members of the public over several years. He is fairly certain that the vast majority of Leave voters wanted to deny British politicians the excuse that EU rules prevented them from delivering electoral promises. This is a personal explanation of voter motivation, alongside an acknowledgement that many other explanations have been advanced. The same criticism is then applied to politicians who blame the Treasury for undelivered commitments. Blaming a department obscures the responsibility of elected ministers and is especially damaging when defence procurement needs clear ownership.
Notable Point · 3:37:18-3:38:50
Blaming the EU and Treasury for undelivered promises
A personal interpretation links years of blaming EU rules to the Brexit vote and compares that habit with later blame directed at the Treasury.