Getting out of the pandemic and winning Brexit: Italian Conservatives for Johnson (and Bailey)
If there are those who have written that "the Cote d'Azur is a corner of the world that will always be England" , now we can say that there is a corner – indeed, an entire area more than a corner – of London that is even a little Italian. All thanks to the Westminster Italian Conservatives , founded by a group of Italian residents in London to support the Tories in the British capital.
Atlantico Quotidiano spoke with Stefania Signorelli Briggi, the vice-chairman of the group to find out more about the association's projects and how Italian conservatives have experienced two crucial milestones in the history of the United Kingdom: Brexit and the pandemic linked to Covid- 19 .
DANIELE MELONI: When were Italian Conservatives born? What is the purpose of the association?
STEFANIA SIGNORELLI: We were born in 2016 to support Zac Goldsmith's election campaign as Mayor of London. Unfortunately, on that occasion the Conservative candidate did not make it. Let's not forget that London is not a Tory city and that aside from Boris Johnson, we've always had Labor leading the city recently. Goldsmith also paid for having taken a stand for Brexit in a pro- Remain city and this resulted in his defeat. We did a lot of “canvassing” for him and that was our first experience of active politics. Moreover, it is not strange that even the big names of the party make leaflets and knock on citizens' doors to try to convince them to vote for them. I also saw Theresa May doing "canvassing". Even as prime minister, she loved returning to her constituency in Maidenhead over the weekend and talking to her constituents about local issues.
DM: In the end, the May era lasted 3 years but it was plagued by parliamentary defeats related to Brexit . Then came Boris Johnson and on 12 December 2019 he took a historic victory. Why did the British – but especially the British – vote for him?
SSB: People were fed up with the Brexit topic, they only heard about that and they saw Johnson as the only one with a credible agenda to get it done. Many Labor who did not trust Corbyn and thought it was time to put Brexit behind us also voted for it. Johnson was good at exploiting this exhaustion even within the party: we can say that May prepared the ground for him, even if her being camera-shy – shy in front of the media – played against her. However, as Italian Conservatives , we have both Remainers and Brexiteers within us, we are an open, pluralist group, and we always will be.
DM: Brexit is an epochal phenomenon, often framed only in economic terms when not speckled by a large part of our press, and also by the English one. I think of the Guardian for example. But what was the atmosphere like in London during the days of the referendum and after its outcome?
SSB: those who voted for Remain – 60 per cent of Londoners – were heartbroken and even among our compatriots there were those who feared going home or who knows what disadvantages. In reality there was none of this. The government immediately recognized the status of European Union citizens residing in London and the procedures for applying for settled or pre-settled status were quick and easy to complete. The much feared exodus of capital, banks and businesses did not happen. Goldman Sachs has hired far more people. I work in business services for companies and have never perceived a decline in employment in the last 4 years before the pandemic. Indeed, if anything, an expansion.
DM: Once Brexit was completed to the electoral cry of “Get Brexit Done”, Johnson had to face the pandemic amid criticism and also a very painful personal story that saw him hospitalized at St. Thomas Hospital. How has London changed with Covid ?
SSB: It has changed a lot because those who can work from home, but the British are very pragmatic and have had a positive attitude even in the face of the pandemic. Initially there weren't all the restrictions we have seen elsewhere. The government gave "advice" and the fines were laughable, something like 30 pounds. When Johnson said that the cases in England were so high because "the English people love freedom" he did not say a strange thing, as many have argued. The British respect the law and customs – just think of how they line up in an orderly line with no one offending – but they have had a hard time digesting the limitations of personal freedoms. Johnson himself defined them as "detestable", but then came the mandatory use of masks on public transport and other measures to contain the spread of infections. The government has done its utmost to limit the damage.
DM: Yet now the Johnson government's mass vaccination program could get the country out of the pandemic ahead of everyone else in Europe. Johnson focused on research immediately to defeat the coronavirus and the facts are proving him right.
SSB: Yes, Johnson was far-sighted on the vaccination program and he could also count on the efficiency of the NHS , one of the most popular public facilities in the British. Communication and invitations to get vaccinated are constant and there is even an app where you can see when it will be your turn to receive your jab , your injection, both first and second. We hope to put this period behind us quickly: a city like London lives for its sociability and we want to return to pre- Covid normality as soon as possible.
DM: What are the projects of the Italian Conservatives in the short term. In the spring there will be elections for the new mayor of London and Labor is favored to obtain a second term with Sadiq Khan. Even in politics last year the city overwhelmingly voted for Labor. Are you focusing on that?
SSB: Yes, we are working to support Shaun Bailey's candidacy as mayor. We know it won't be an easy battle, but Shaun is a very good candidate, a politician with an outstanding background that can be appealing to any London citizen, both in the center and in the suburbs. The fact that you have chosen a candidate from the BAME ethnic minority makes you understand how big and open the Conservative Party is: there is room for all those who want to lend a hand without any distinction. On the other hand, Johnson himself has appointed ministers of every social class, ethnicity and religious belief. A good message also for a city like London where openness and diversity are at home.
The post Getting out of the pandemic and winning Brexit: Italian Conservatives for Johnson (and Bailey) appeared first on Atlantico Quotidiano .
This is a machine translation from Italian language of a post published on Atlantico Quotidiano at the URL http://www.atlanticoquotidiano.it/quotidiano/uscire-dalla-pandemia-e-brexit-vincente-italian-conservatives-per-johnson-e-bailey/ on Sun, 07 Feb 2021 05:02:00 +0000.