Offshoring 'national' spirit

Tweet

Taking a walk in the sun in Calais over the weekend, I saw one of P&O’s ferries coming in to dock.  I was aware, of course, of the story that they were reflagging their ships in Cyprus as a result of Brexit uncertainty.  But actually seeing this particular ship with its new home port proudly painted under its name somehow summed up the reality of Brexit in a single image.  It now reads:

Spirit of Britain

Limassol

A British company registering a ship called the Spirit of Britain abroad – in a place it’s never been and is unlikely ever to go – struck me as an interesting metaphor for where the Anglo-British not-nationalists-at-all have taken us.