Brexit: Aftermath of the Historic Vote

Waking up on a sunny Thursday morning on the 23rd of June to the news that the Brexit campaign succeeded was simply one word: shocking. I often thought of Great Britain as a conservative country that did not enjoy the idea of change as previously demonstrated in the past; David Cameron was re-elected Prime Minister the previous year and Scotland had voted against a referendum. As a result of this, I had assumed that an issue as huge as leaving the EU- a trading group that Great Britain had involved its affairs with for 43 years- was a mere empty threat.

Once my short grieving process was over (with the help of a cup of tea) and I had finally accepted the truth: Brexit means Brexit. My peaceful morning was short-lived after I quickly learned that David Cameron- one of the strongest campaigners for the Leave Party- had stepped down from his role of Prime Minister. Yet another devastating blow. After my second cup of PG Tips, I realised why Brexit turned out to be the superior decision. Looking back at the month of rivalry and heavy campaigning, I noticed that the Leave Campaign was way more “active” in spreading the message of “British Pride”. Nigel Farage made headlines with the infamous bus that claimed the £350 million “we send to the EU each week” could be used to “fund the NHS instead”. This strategy was more effective than Labour’s somewhat desperate ads on every newspaper that simply stated: “I’m IN”.

We send the EU £350 million a week, let’s fund our NHS instead
Despite the immediate drop to the value of the British pound, the economy seems to be boosting- especially within tourism- as the rest of Europe sees Britain as the next Greece: the new cheap holiday hotspot since the economy has “crashed”. This in turn, has led to a record-rise in August of spending within the services sector- a sector that accounts for approximately 80% of the UK’s economy.

So whilst I initially saw the conclusion of the EU referendum as a disaster, it also suggests hope for the UK- or as my father likes to call it: ‘The New Switzerland’. Who knows, maybe Brexit may be one of the new improvements to the country- a decision that could be as historic and hopeful as legalising gay marriage, Sadiq Khan being voted as London’s first Muslim Mayor, and Theresa May becoming Britain’s second female prime minister.  BJ

Brexit means Brexit

On the 31st August 2016, Theresa May led a “Brexit brainstorm” at Chequers Court. 

Along with the many ideas being deliberated at the meeting, Mrs May wanted to make it clear that “Brexit means Brexit”. Yet, there is no need to fret Remainers, as a legal analysis of Article 50 has recently been published, which would have Brexiters across the UK spilling their brandy all over their country-estate-carpet. May said the UK government will not trigger Article 50 until the start of 2017 at the earliest, which in turn would start the 2-year process of Britain leaving the EU. The proposition suggests that once article 50 is invoked there is no turning back – doomsday for Britain. However, the reality is that Article 50 is a notification of Britain’s “intention” to leave the EU. In law, the word “intention” cannot be interpreted as a final and irreversible decision, therefore the “intention” can be withdrawn. So, hypothetically speaking, if a new government was elected which represented the remain side, the intention to leave the EU would be no more, which would cause a rekindling of relationships between the UK and it’s former partner countries. 

Another issue issued discussed at Chequers was the approach towards a possible deal with the EU. May made the need for a "unique" deal for the UK clear, however, what the deal would be or how it would be ratified was not clarified. The reiteration of the issues is hardly ground-breaking progress and, if anything, it is making the idea of a perfect deal which pleases all seem more unattainable than originally thought. The SNP has accused the government of "breathtaking complacency", Mr Hugo Swire MP, who campaigned for Remain, made it obvious that the government has no idea what they want to achieve, and Ex-Chancellor Lord Lawson (a leave campaigner) wants the government to “stop wasting time trying to negotiate the unnegotiable”. 

Is it possible to achieve the “unique deal”? 

Unlikely! Why would the EU grant the UK a perfect deal that would possibly cause the collapse of the whole system? The most likely outcome is that the UK will remain part of the single market, which makes one question the point of the hassle and financial loss, for a life that practically mirrors one inside of the EU. 

Should Brexit really mean Brexit? FB