For the benefit of Europe in general

Issue number: 46 – September 2016 (KA 46)

The great petition of Vice Admiral Horatio Nelson’s Trafalgar Prayer of 1805, once again echoes across the years, “May the Great God whom I worship grant to my country and for the benefit of Europe in general a Great and Glorious victory . . .” (My italics).

These are challenging times. Britain has voted to leave the European Union. Historians in the future will look back at this defining moment in our history as a watershed. In the words of the new Prime Minister, Theresa May, “Brexit means Brexit.” Yet in truth no one has the faintest idea what Brexit will look like or how long it will take before those future historians can say whether the British people on 23 June 2016 made the right or wrong choice. It was Chinese premier Zhou Enlai who famously said, when asked what were the implications of the French Revolution, it was “too early” to say. Given that the Revolution was 227 years ago it rather emphasises the point. Plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose. What is certain is that few if any of us are likely to live long enough to find out!

To read the full Chairman’s Dispatch please download the PDF here.