Theresa May says world must change after shock Brexit vote in UK and Trump’s win in the US
THE world must change to meet the wave of popular uprising which catapulted Donald Trump to power and brought Brexit, Theresa May will say tomorrow.
She will urge international leaders to bury their liberal attitudes and address the concerns of the masses.
The PM believes governments everywhere must heed the message millions of ordinary working folk have delivered at the ballot box this year.
In a keynote speech, she will say that people power has transformed the world – and politicians must change tack or be driven out of office.
Mrs May will declare: “Change is in the air. And when people demand change, it is the job of politicians to respond.”
She will tell VIP guests at the Mansion House, London, few of them would have predicted the events of this year – and will suggest they must not take the future for granted either.
The twin pillars of liberalism and globalisation which have dominated politics over the past generation must adapt to a “world transformed”.
In both Britain and America, they have often been pursued with little concern for how they affect working people.
In the past decades action to boost prosperity and bring nations closer together has seen working-class estates hit by mass immigration.
But the PM believes the twin shockwaves of Brexit and President-elect Trump show that while the old world order brought new levels of wealth and lifted millions out of poverty, millions were left behind.
Mrs May will say: “These people – often on modest to low incomes living in rich countries like our own – see their jobs being outsourced and wages undercut.
related stories
“They see their communities changing around them and don’t remember giving their permission for that to be the case.”
She will add: “We can’t deny that there have been downsides to globalisation in recent years and that – in our zeal and enthusiasm to promote this agenda as the answer to all our ills – we have on occasion overlooked the impact on those closer to home who see these forces in a different light.”
“If we are to continue to make the case for liberalism and globalisation, as we must, we must also face up to and respond to these concerns.
“If we believe, as I do, that liberalism and globalisation continue to offer the best future for our world, we must deal with the downsides and show that we can make these twin forces work for everyone.”
Mrs May’s warnings about the effects of globalisation also suggest that she is determined to push through a “hard” Brexit.
For more Trump talk, don't miss Paul Ross from 11am on your new speech radio station.
Call Paul on 0344 499 1000.
Listen on DAB, via the talkRADIO app or online at