The political exploitation of the Brussels terrorist attacks is well under way. British Eurosceptics have long said in private that two major events could reshape the EU referendum campaign: a ramping up of the migration crisis and a terrorist attack. The former is expected to happen in the next few weeks and the latter has sadly now happened. The dynamics of the campaign are likely to change as a consequence.
However distasteful it might seem to begin discussing the political implications so soon after Tuesday’s dreadful events, anti-EU campaigners were quick off the mark. On the political right, the columnist Allison Pearson was quick to tweet: “Brussels, de facto capital of the EU, is also the jihadist capital of Europe. And the Remainers dare to say we’re safer in the EU!”
On the left, George Galloway, the leader of the Respect party, offered up his hot take: “Those who rule us built this monstrous extremism, and continue to sustain it, in Syria and elsewhere. And their policies feed its blood-lust.” As is often the case with Mr Galloway, the west is to blame.