52% and 48% are not only mathematical results of a referendum that is meant to represent citizenship´s will, but also two groups that divide a country and an identity. The results do not represent the real will of British citizenship because a large average of the population doesn’t vote, and because of the very tight difference. Is it so that asseverate (as Theresa May has recently said) that the government will represent the interests of both groups is not feasible.
These groups are ideologically contradictory and are searching for building national identities from a complete diverse conception. As a difference from other referendums in which people differ in an specific approach that doesn´t compromise the entire system, in this case it has an ideological component that make of conciliation a simply impossible fact. Furthered by a far-right agenda based in an anti-globalism, racism, xenophobia as well as private financial interests (hedge-funds) they sell the campaign as a way to get free and liberate the country of the burdens of European integration. In fact, the only proven burden was for those that are nationalists or seeing integration as a threat for their racist/xenophobic goals.
It was not an anti-establishment struggle -as it has been sold-, it was the victory of the establishment of certain groups in the search of gaining power and get rid of the accountability and transparency that the EU system represents.
Recent resolution for avoiding tax evasion in Switzerland, in which Swiss bank accounts data will be handed over automatically once a year illustrates the tendency of being more transparent and more integrated. The fluidity of information prevents crime and only by sustained and systemic channels is that transparency is established. Meanwhile movements like Brexit search exactly for the opposite: isolationism that allows financial privileges as with hedge-funds (coincidentally a strong investor in Brexit campaigns).
Conciliating both positions: a democratic, global, integrationist, multicultural with a nationalist, anti-global, isolationist, racist and xenophobic is not possible and will never happen. In fact it has created confrontation and divide the country as never before.
Brexit supporters are the establishment now so, is it now that the real anti-establishment struggle (not slogans) begins: against a system that tends to reduce accountability and transparency and loose the opportunity for a global joint action that helps countries to address crises with resilience and global leadership.
Brexit is about establishes a far-right agenda with focused financial goals creating a new establishment of values, definitely not European integration.
*Rick Kirby Sculpture, end of Silver Street, Bedford, U.K.