Back to the future for British cities?

The call for London to have a referendum and — as its proposers hope — thereafter secede from the (dis)United Kingdom and hop across the Channel (only metaphorically and economically speaking, alas) could find echoes elsewhere in the country.

Referendums, after all, are portending to become the hottest postmodern political trend, as evidenced by its instant endorsement 6,700 km away by Delhi’s like-minded chief minister.

It may not be farfetched, therefore, to contemplate that other cities in the UK may also take up the call of those one lakh Londoners who are now petitioning for yet another ballot to join Europe instead of remaining cut off in a post-Brexit British backwood.

Britain’s megapolises can be forgiven for wanting to travel back in history to become if not like the independent Greek city-states that also stood aloof from the roiling hinterland or the mercantile Hanseatic League of the Baltic coast, then at least like the nine 'free cities' of the Game of Thrones tele-serial.

The idea would obviously be irresistible for all city fathers there with a yen for self-governance and those among the citizenry who may soon fancy a more flexible passport than the one UK provides them. Of course, in order to truly become Europe’s Singapore, London would first have to turn the M25 circular motorway into a moat.