When I was reporting on the EU and Brexit for the BBC, we used to get occasional complaints from UKIPers saying that we must not call the EU, Europe. I am proud to say that I never did do this, but the complaint that Andorra was not in the EU and therefore Europe was a misnomer, was always pretty thin, I thought.
But now the BBC is describing exports of Covid vaccines to the Continent as going “from the UK to Europe”. It happened numerous on the Today programme this morning, by journalists and writes who should know better (no names no pack drill). Unless someone tows the UK to the other side of the Atlantic, it is and always will be in Europe.
This is playing the Brexiteers game for them, as is the very dispute over the vaccine. On that issue I will only say I don’t know what the contracts say but that if factories here were shipping vaccines to the Continent and not making enough for the UK, I am pretty sure I know what the headlines would be. Also having had the highest death rate and the worst economic hit of all developed countries, seeing the UK preening itself over the success of vaccine production leaves a bad taste in the mouth.
https://jonty.substack.com/
Interesting point. I too tried to avoid the blanket term -- but the fact is apart from Switzerland and Norway all of Europe either is in the EU or aspires to be. But I agar it is not hard to say 'continental Europe" or EU as appropriate. Maybe UK now aspires to declaring itself a new continent ...
fair point but it is the hypocrisy I can't stand. When UK in the EU we must not call it Europe because a few European countries aren't members. When we leave we call it Europe giving the impression it is something over there we are not part of it.