Ricky Gervais has discussed his thoughts on the UK’s decision to leave the UK, saying that the reasons behind the vote were “depressing”, adding: “People blame foreigners.”
Gervais, who is soon set to take The Office’s David Brent to the big screen with his upcoming film Life On The Road, touched upon his personal thoughts about Brexit in an interview with NME, saying: “There’s obviously a fraction [of Leave voters] who are xenophobic and racist, but that’s the way of the world. People blame foreigners. It’s terrible.”
Gervais also discussed the criticisms of the Leave campaign, which backtracked on a number of its key pledges following the decision to leave the EU, saying: “The truth is, we would’ve been better in. They’re not going to get the Britain they want. They’re dreaming. What do they think it’s going to be? They’re going to go back to the fucking Victorian times? They’ve been sold a lie, their life hasn’t turned out like they thought, and they’re blaming someone. And now they’re gloating about it.”
In the wake of the EU referendum, prominent Leave campaigner and former UKIP leader Nigel Farage stated that Leave’s claim that £350 million of EU funding would go to the NHS was essentially a lie, the first in a series of post-Brexit withdrawals the Leave campaign has made regarding their pledges to the UK.
Speaking of Leave and those who voted for them, the comedian said: “I don’t want to call them all racists, because they’re probably not… but some of them are. Ignorance is the real enemy.”
In the wake of Brexit, Gervais took to Twitter to share his thoughts on Leave campaign head Boris Johnson, writing: “Phew! Just when Britain was starting to become a laughing stock around the world, Boris Johnson is appointed foreign secretary.”
