New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is being urged to voice concerns about irregularities in the United Kingdom's Brexit referendum lest they open the door to authoritarian rule.
The United Kingdom's Brexit plans continue to lurch from crisis to crisis.
The real problem is Brexit itself, and it has implications for all of us, Professor Robert Patman says.
In the latest Global Insight, the University of Otago international relations specialist examines apparent illegal activities around the original referendum.
Among other concerns, Brexit appears to have been the template for Russian collusion with the Trump election campaign in the United States, Prof Patman says.
"British democracy is in crisis,'' he says.
"Once the independent rule of law is eroded for partisan reasons, then you are opening the door to authoritarian rule.''
Prof Patman is calling on Prime Minister Ardern, and leaders of other liberal democracies, to speak directly and clearly to the British government about these concerns.
"If we don't want to see the rise of authoritarianism, then we need to speak out.''
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Comments
The UK could easily raise concerns about pre election meetings between Winston Peters and the Russian Ambassador or the scale of funding of political parties in New Zealand from organisations associated to China.
So what? Talkin' bout England here.
Certainly more than an Austin Allegro moment rather than a Dunkirk one.
