‘Despite Brexit vote, Britain remains a multi-ethnic, multi-cultural society’

Were you shocked with the result of the vote?

It’s a surprise to a lot of people, both because the vote was so close and also the Leave [campaign] won. But you prepare yourself for either result, knowing it’s a close result.

 

Did you vote?

I voted by post. I had voted in advance. I wasn’t in the UK at that time.

 

And you voted Remain?

(Chuckles) That’s a personal matter how I vote. In the UK, it’s a personal matter how they vote. It’s probably the biggest democratic exercise in the UK history with 33 million people voting. It’s quite an extraordinary event. The high turnout of the voting population says something about the democratic tradition of the UK. I think most people would say the campaign is over, the votes have been cast, and the majority of people think the UK should exit the EU; the task now is to come together to work out the best way to implement the will of the people, both for government and for officials, who serve the government and Her Majesty the Queen.

 

Is immigration the main issue why Leave won?

I am not sure if it’s the main issue, but it was one of the issues raised during the campaign, along with the sense of over-regulation and budgetary control. It’s the perception about immigration more than the facts about immigration. Despite what was said during the campaign, Britain remains a multi-faith, multi-ethnic society, welcoming people to travel, to work, to study, to invest. I don’t think that has changed. While it’s a factor in the debate, it’s hard to say what was the main issue impacting voters’ choice.

 

What next for the UK – we just have to wait for the next PM?

We won’t have to wait very long. The PM has set a timetable within the Conservative Party. Potential leaders are making their candidacy known. They have announced that by September the process to elect a new leader for the party will be completed and there will be a prime minister. PM David Cameron said he will stay on for three months until that transition takes place.

 

Three months is pretty long in this period of uncertainty.

There will undoubtedly be uncertainty for the next two years. Until we know exactly what the terms of the exit deal from EU are, there will remain elements of uncertainty. What the PM has done, what the Chancellor of the Exchequer has done, and what the Governor of the Bank of England has done is to assure British people, Europeans, and the rest of the world that the fundamentals of the British economy will remain stable. The measures are put in place to ensure we can carry on business. In fact, nothing changes while we are a member of the EU until the final exit. There is less uncertainty than people perhaps feel.

Is the referendum a mistake now that we can see its consequences and chaos thereafter?

It’s clearly a democratic vote and a democratic result. I don’t think you can describe it as a mistake in the sense that the PM was responding to a desire from the people of the UK to express their view on Britain’s future as a country in Europe. That is democracy.

 

Is the UK going to break up because of this?

That is for commentators and analysts to look at, not really for me. All I can say at the moment is the UK remains the UK. Nothing changes. We are still a member of the EU until Article 50 is triggered and negotiation is complete. You cannot predict the future in any sense. It’s not a question I feel am able to speculate at this point.

 

Would London still be a global financial centre?

I believe it will be. London is probably the world’s most global financial centre. There are huge number of strengths of the financial sector in London, based partly on the strength of the economy and on our regulatory system. If you look at the history of the city of London, it has proved itself very adaptable and flexible to changes in society and in the global economy. If you look back at the shocks in the 1980s and 90s, the city of London reacted quickly to create new financial instruments, to be very innovative with the way it dealt with the international market, to maintain the status of London being a global financial centre. I think you can rely on London to apply the same sort of innovation and creativity to the current situation.

 

There are reports about companies planning to move their headquarters from the UK to other European countries.  

Well, they are rumours but has nobody has yet moved their headquarters. I think let’s wait and see. Anxiety is understandable. My point is we should be confident in ourselves, looking at our experiences, looking at our strengths as a society and as an economy, that we can find a way to implement the will of the people, to exit the EU in such a way that secures the future of Britain and is respectful and secures the future of the EU as well. 

 

The UK wants to remain in the single market, but at the same time doesn’t want the freedom of labour movement. Is the UK being picky?

As the Foreign Secretary said, there is a conflict between wanting two things which are currently incompatible. And as the PM has said, that is a matter for the next PM and negotiators to discuss. It is right for the UK to want its best for its people, and the question of what that is will emerge over the next two years. At the moment, we should focus that nothing actually changes. British people will be able to live, work and invest in the EU, and European citizens can still work, live, and study in the UK. None of that alters at the moment.

 

English may no longer be an official language of the EU. Would the English language diminish in importance on the world stage?

You can’t set policy around what would be an important language or not. People will decide what language they want to use, in business or in education. I think English remains a strong language on the world stage, as do other languages like Chinese and French. I don’t think this necessarily changes English as a language for use in business across the globe.

 

Would the Brexit result in any way affect Thai students studying in the UK, Thai people investing there or buying houses there?

No. Nothing will change immediately anyways. We have to look two years on what the UK deal is, but nothing should change for Thai people. The work of my embassy here and indeed the Thai Embassy in London, would be to ensure that we communicate effectively with interest groups here in Thailand and in the UK about opportunities for collaboration and partnership and remind them what a strong foundation we already have in our relationship.

 

In terms of trade and investment ties between Thailand and the UK, will the UK become less attractive compared to it being a part of the EU?

I will argue that that’s not the case.  The UK still remains an attractive investment destination. Britain is still the fifth largest economy in the world. We are a member of the G-7 and G-20, a member of Nato, and we have a permanent seat on the UN Security Council. We have bilateral trade worth around 5 billion pounds with Thailand, and also we have investment here worth around 9 billion pounds. We have Thai citizens wanting to invest and travel to the UK, and make their homes there, in the same way that British citizens want to make their home here. So I think in terms of the big picture, and although there might be some changes around the relationships of the UK with European nations, for Thailand, we can still make a very strong case why the UK, as the modern, outward-looking, innovative nation, should be the partner of choice for Thai investors, businessmen, students and tourists.

 

During your term here in Thailand, what is your biggest mission?

I will try to convey what modern Britain is and stands for. I think a lot of people have a very romantic notion of the UK, built on our tradition and culture and royal family, which are fantastic, but modern Britain is a very innovative country. There is much cutting-edge research going on in the UK and four of the world’s top 10 universities are in the UK. We have strengths in creativity and innovation but I think are not fully understood outside of the UK. My top mission here is to convey a sense of what the UK has going forward – a forward looking, modern country and the opportunities we can offer to those who want to partner with us.  

 

Watch the interview on ‘Mong Rao Mong Lok’ programme at 6.20pm today on 

Nation TV.