With the prospects of a disadvantageous Brexit deal rising, Scotland would be tempted to push for another referendum on independence. Northern Ireland, too, where a majority of people voted to Remain, may become restive if its open border with the Republic of Ireland, a mainstay member of the European Union, is placed in doubt. Amid all this disunion, Britain would turn further in on itself. So much for plucky buccaneering.
This is the pass that our provincial-minded elite has brought us to. Unserious about the country’s tradition of global engagement, this generation has squandered the prestige of Britain’s place in the postwar international order, all for petty party advantage and pandering.
After his Brexit debacle, Mr. Cameron left power much as he had wielded it, humming absent-mindedly as he bade farewell from Downing Street. But he, a son of privilege, has landed on his feet. The same is by no means certain for Britain.
