Obama arrived in Europe today to a very hostile group of London authorities. The group is a part of the “Out” campaign, which want Britain to leave the European Union.
Obama has made it apparent that he is in favor of keeping Britain a part of the European union by stating,
“This kind of cooperation—from intelligence sharing and counterterrorism to forging agreements to create jobs and economic growth—will be far more effective if it extends across Europe. Now is a time for friends and allies to stick together…..Together, the United States, the United Kingdom, and the European Union have turned centuries of war in Europe into decades of peace.”
Many London authorities that are a part of the Out campaign are furious that Obama is trying to intervene in British affairs.
Boris Johnson, the mayor of London takes a keen-eyed shot at Barack Obama by calling him a “part-Kenyan president” that is “incoherent,” “downright hypocritical” and “inconsistent.” Johnson states that if the United States were in a similar situation as Britain, the United States would choose to stay out of a union so that the country’s sovereignty would not be limited.
Boris Johnson is not the lone authority figure that wants Obama to stay out of this British affair. Nigel Farage, the leader of the British Independence Party wants Obama to “butt out.” Kate Hoey, a former British Labour Party politician finds Obama’s intervention to be “patronizing” and “insulting.”
In another shot at Obama, Johnson pointed out that one of his first acts of duties when entering the Oval office was to remove a bust of Winston Churchill. Johnson calls out Obama by stating that he has an “ancestral dislike of the British empire.” Prime Minister Churchill once sent British troops to Kenya to quell the Mau Mau Rebellion back in 1952.
Obama and London mayor, Boris Johnson are not scheduled to meet during the President’s time in London.
Do you think Obama should stop intervening in Britain’s decision to stay in the European Union? Let everyone know in the comments below.
