With a marginal victory by the Leave camp, Britain will now move towards exiting the European Union. The final verdict was Leave at 51.8 percent and Remain at 48.2 percent, with a little over 70 percent of Britons putting pen to paper at the referendum. Now, as Prime Minister David Cameron announced that he will step down by October, and hand over the reins to the new prime minister who will steer the country through the exit procedure.
The stock market went down and there’s now political turmoil in the country, but none of this was unexpected. The seeds for Brexit however, were sown decades ago, in the early 70s, when the country first joined the common market in 1973. Even back then, the Conservatives were not comfortable with the decision to join and form a union and once the UK Independence Party (UKIP) started gaining prominence a few years ago, many MPs joined forces with the UKIP members and Labour MPs to campaign for Brexit. The 2008 economic crisis was the turning point, as over three decades of frustrations and ‘Euroscepticism’ came to the fore. This started an exodus from other members of the block, an exodus that led to a massive increase in migration to Britain and a few other countries. With the Pound still staying strong, it was obvious that Britain got the larger percentage of migrants.
PM David Cameron tried his best to renegotiate terms, but the EU’s free movement of labour for free trade may have great in principle, but Britain was feeling the pinch. Brits now saw the lack of primary schools places, appointments with doctors and even a lowering of wages to be the outcome of unnecessary migration. They also saw the benefits meant for them going to migrants and their families located elsewhere in the EU. To put it simply, the working class felt betrayed by the political elite.
Now the new prime minister, come October or thereabouts, and Britain will have to start negotiations with the EU, once Article 50 of the Treaty of the European Union is triggered, meaning Britain has two years to leave. They will negotiate on trade tarrifs, regulation of everything from fishing, agriculture, cars and more. Another key point on the table will be migration.
So what does this mean now? As of now, everything is mere speculation, but there will be tighter immigration laws. That is for certain. The Leave camps were never against migration but wanted it controlled, only permitting those who can contribute to the economy to enter. This means there will be curbs on most entrants that cannot hold white collar positions. However, since Britain does need its share of plumbers and other members of the working class sector, it’s doubtful that people will be asked to leave, but there will surely be no further working permits granted. Another thing that is a given is that anyone wishing to enter Britain will now have to go through the same channels as non-EU residents in the past. This also includes an English test.
There is more turmoil on the anvil for Britain, as Scotland and Ireland are sure to ask for their own exit. Scotland’s premier Nicola Sturgeon has already suggested that there will be a second referendum on Scottish independence. Since both countries voted to Remain, it’s inevitable.
Now Britain’s political class will have to reconnect with the people and guide them through the murky waters of the exit. The EU will also have to rethink their policies. Perhaps this may be beneficial to everyone in the long run.
