John Gummer, also known as Lord Deben, has claimed that the results of Brexit and Donald Trump's 2016 US election campaign, are down to the fact that the "moderate and sane" ignored the commitment of populist politicians to undermine liberal democracy. Lord Deben listed in a blog for Green Alliance about how Britain's decision to leave the European Union, and Donald Trump's shocking election victory over Hilary Clinton earlier this year, are two examples of what can happen when "the obviously sensible is taken for granted".
Brexit and Trump - a failure of liberal democracy
In the blog, Lord Deben called for people to defend liberal democracy and claimed that Trump's victory and the result of Brexit had only happened because those with what he described as "British values" had failed to understand the severity of the situation, and the power in which these "small groups of well-funded individuals" have. He then went on to take aim at the media, who he believes undermine liberal democracy for political agenda. Lord Deben also stated that he felt the UK had moved backwards and that "decent people" had allowed the countries liberal standards to be undermined by "falling asleep on the job".
Brexit, Trump and Murdoch
Lord Deben targeted business tycoon Rupert Murdoch specifically for his influence in the media.
Murdoch owns several large media outlets globally including the Sun and the Times in the UK, as well as US media giants Fox. Fox, who have been heavily criticised for their political bias in the past, are now looking to take over major UK broadcaster Sky, the timing of which Lord Deben believes should act as a "warning" for liberals.
Climate change
Lord Deben served as Environmental Secretary to former British Prime Minister John Major, and now acts as a chair to the UK's independent Committee on Climate Change. Talking of global warming in the blog, he warned that environmentalists needed to start discussing the issues of global warming in a way that the public could relate to.
He claimed that although environmentalists had won the argument on climate change, that they had to become more "practical" and look for ways to help businesses and government achieve "society's aims".
