Yesterday we noted that one agency president was somewhat excited by Donald Trump’s victory, to which much of the world beyond his own (50+ million) voters reacted with words like “shocked” and “stunned.” This leader didn’t state that he personally approved of the election result but, rather, that it presented an opportunity for employees to earn their salaries by using Trump’s win to explain what it all means to clients.
Another executive at an American agency had a slightly different take on the news, using it to remind staff that “Brexit” supporters were absolutely right. This email went out yesterday morning:
We appreciate that some of you are somber and some of you are celebrating but regardless of where you stand on the issue, I think we can all agree that it’s time to say farewell to this extraordinary election. So let us come together today … for drinks to say goodbye to Decision 2016.
AdvertisementFor those of you smarting from this decision let me offer some encouragement from the UK’s recent vote to leave the European Union. While I am a proud ‘Brexiteer’ I was totally shocked by the reaction to the Leave vote and the sense of doom that existed for a while. But the doom-mongers about Brexit are proven wrong everyday and none of their negative predictions have come true…
The executive’s feelings on the matter are clear, but the last assertion in this email is up for debate. The economic picture in the U.K. remains mixed, and the formal process of exiting the European Union has not yet begun. According to the BBC, growth in the British economy has been stronger than many analysts predicted over the summer, but the financial and housing industries remain wary of future trends — and the pound has yet to recover from the deep dive it took on June 23-24.
Then there’s this:
According to Home Office figures, racist or religious abuse incidents recorded by police in England and Wales jumped 41% in the month after the UK voted to quit the EU. … The sharp increase declined in August but has ‘remained at a higher level than prior to the EU referendum’.
Make of that what you will.