The Archbishop of Canterbury’s unsurprising decision to come out for the Remain side in the EU Referendum proves he is a sell-out to his own flock.
For as the leader of the Anglican communion around the world, Justin Welby has effectively turned his back on the Commonwealth, where the vast majority of his church’s estimated 60 million members live.
Welby made his declaration in the increasingly pro-EU Mail on Sunday.
My prayer is that we decide the #EUref with a sense of generosity and vision of what Britain can be in the world.https://t.co/J2utoE8jdV
— Justin Welby ن (@JustinWelby) June 12, 2016
By wanting Britain to continue as a member of the European Union, Welby has signalled that he is perfectly happy for unrestricted immigration from the EU to continue – at the expense of those from the Commonwealth who might wish to work or settle here.
Indeed, he has essentially said he supports the right of EU citizens to move to Britain with no questions asked, regardless of their circumstances.
Yet those from Commonwealth counties do not enjoy this right.
They are often unable to move to Britain – even if they offer skills and professional qualifications which their EU counterparts do not have.
This is for the simple, practical reason that there is no room because so many people are allowed to come to Britain from the EU by divine right. This unearned privilege trumps whatever Commonwealth citizens may bring.
In Welby’s declaration, he did not address this point.
If this reality ever crossed his mind, he chose to keep it to himself.
As Welby has lived in Africa, it’s a shame he doesn’t back Brexit: an independent Britain would likely introduce an arrangement that would allow free trade with many African nations and thus help defeat poverty there.
