Heat Street is there covering the final week of ‘Hamilton’ with the original cast. Lin-Manuel Miranda fired his shot and it was heard around the world – and spread beyond the reach of art and culture.
His fame led him to become the strongest advocate for Puerto Rico, asking Congress for assistance for the Americans living in the Commonwealth – and Speaker Ryan responded.
Months later, as the advocates for Vote Leave gathered in the UK to face insurmountable odds, Hamilton inspired many. Several at the head of the Vote Leave movement loved the album, and the concept. The do or die patriotism, the recklessness, the willingness to ‘raise a glass to freedom’, to not listen to the establishment, were all baked in to the Brexit movement.
We on vote Leave – I might cast myself here as Angelica Schulyer, not a direct combatant, but on the team and dispensing advice from afar – were inspired by the musical and Hamilton- related memes were big:
Hamilton made a very clear statement when it cast multiracial actors in white people’s historical roles. One of these was ‘America is multicultural’. The other is ‘Hey – it’s called acting’.
Vote Leave was also supposed by Remain to be all about white, foreigner-hating Little Englanders. In fact, the Brexit coalition was rich, poor, and deeply multicultural.
2. Self-determination – ‘Young scrappy and hungry’ vs ‘Farmer Refuted’
Hamilton has a key scene where Samuel Sebury tries to shame the first Brexiters by scaring them with the consequences of leaving:
‘Heed not the rebels who scream ‘revolution’ they have not your interests at heart… chaos and bloodshed are not a solution, don’t let them lead you astray… I pray the King (Juncker) shows you his mercy… for shame, for shame!’
Sounds familiar? Hamilton responds
‘Why should a tiny island across the sea regulate the price of tea?’
That’s Luxembourgish Juncker all over.
The King, George III, also perfectly embodies the EU’s arrogance and comic disregard for Britain, wrapped up in soft words:
‘So no, don’t change the subject – cause you’re my favourite subjects… my sweet, submissive subjects…’
As Schauble and Osborne started with the threats, Vote Leave was ready for them…
‘I will send a fully armed battalion to remind you of my love’.
3. The Founding Fathers – And Mothers
‘How does a bastard, orphan, son of a whore, and a Scotsman, dropped in the middle of a forgotten plot in the Caribbean by Providence impoverished in squalor – grow up to be a hero and a scholar? The ten dollar Founding Father without a father…’
Many of the Vote Leave team were in here. The Scotsman and orphan – Michael Gove. The immigrant – Gisela Stuart. Couldn’t comment on the ‘bastard’ but there were plenty of immigrant stock and working class Vote Leave leaders – Priti Patel, Steven Woolfe, John Mann, etc. The heroes – Veterans for Britain. The scholar – Dan Hannan MEP, lover of Europe and fluent in four languages. Here Hannan says to the EU parliament – “Let’s part as friends” – in fluent French.
4. ‘The Battle of Yorktown’
The sense of impending doom and overwhelming odds gripped Vote Leave as the BBC, the government, the EU and so forth lined up against the insurgents. ‘Twenty-two thousand troops in New York harbour…’ as the polls and betting markets smugly predicted a Remain wipeout, Vote Leave rallied. Hamilton comes in
‘OK what else?’ ‘Outnumbered, outplanned’ ‘We need some men on the inside, some King’s men who might let some things slide…’
Despite the negativity, Vote Leave had our own Hercules Mulligans, looking at the canvas returns. John Mann MP told me the night before the vote the Welsh vallies were looking good. I wanted to believe him and I did. He had the certainty of a man with solid information.
5. ‘Winning is easy, young man – governing’s harder’
There are stumbles in part two of the musical, and of Brexit’s leaders. A sullen government made no plans for a loss, and Vote Leave, not yet elected, can’t implement Brexit. It will happen, though. ‘Oceans rise, empires fall, it’s much harder when it’s all your call,’ says the King. Fair enough – but we see the new Republic rising. As Hamilton says ‘God help and forgive me – I wanna leave something that’s gonna outlive me’.
Vote Leave have done just that, to short term chaos barely touched on in the musical -“Imagine what gon’ happen when you try to tax our whisky,’ says Jefferson, referring to the Whisky Rebellion that followed America’s ‘Leave’ vote – but to long term gain and glory.
As Lin Manuel Miranda teaches em how to say goodbye on Saturday, Heat Street will report, and Brexit thanks you for the soundtrack, sir.
Hamilton – Dan Hannan MEP
Washington – Boris Johnson / Andrea Leadsom
Lafayette – Gisela Stuart
Jefferson – Michael Gove
Hercules Mulligan – John Mann MP
Laurens – Douglas Carswell
Angelica Schuyler – Steve Hilton (hey acting is acting right?)
etc