Anti-Brexit historians must dare to be political

Surely the Professor's idea of "progress" is problematic? Prof. Bueltmann is well known both as an academic and an EU activist. No doubt she thinks that the existence of the EU is a sign of progress, yet what is progress to a predominantly middle-class professor is not to someone lower down the social scale. The very fact that people voted for both Brexit and Trump is a sign that such progress (whatever that means) was shallow. I agree, as an historian myself, that historians can and should challenge myths of the past as and when they occur in public discourse, but these should not be employed for the advancement of any cause but for its own sake.

I appreciate the point about understandings of progress - undoubtedly it will vary. However, for myself I would like to note that I come from a distinctly working class background (first to even do Abitur) and perceived it that way. So there was no middle-class view there shaping my thinking. And on the last point I can only, which I'm sure won't surprise, disagree on. Why should we not advance a cause too, sometimes? Other groups do exactly that. What makes us different, say, from business leaders or bankers who do this all the time, using their knowledge to take a stand on an issue? It is of course a personal choice, but with that in mind I would like to reiterate that I think we should all dare.

I'd say history means a lot more to people than the dry economic forecasts of bankers and business leaders, which, at the risk of sounding patronising though not intending to, they often might not understand. It is precisely because it can be so emotive and malleable to other interests that historians should try to remain impartial in public debate where necessary. Yes, call out BS if you see history being used inappropriately by a certain group, and I'm not saying that historians shouldn't speak out on certain political moves *as voters* with opinions, which may or may not be more informed than an average voter. And I'm not sure whether Brexit is a "defining" moment in British history, only time will tell that.

This piece reads as a sort of political manifesto to action with allusions that Britain's past is comparable to Nazi Germany.