The Whittier
Miscellany
APRIL 2019 • WILMINGTON FRIENDS SCHOOL’S COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER • WILMINGTON, DELAWARE
BREXIT: WHO, WHAT, WHERE, WHEN... BUT WHY? HENRY WIEMAN ’21 NEWS WRITER
On June 23, 2016, a Thursday, citizens of England, Scotland, Northern Ireland, and Wales, weighed in on a decision that would impact the United Kingdom’s future as a global superpower and independent nation. The people weren’t voting for any congressional or executive hopeful, but were instead deciding a colossal question in Foreign Policy; a complex and nuanced choice that would bring with it dramatic consequences to the populace and economy of Great Britain, many of them unforeseen. The referendum held in the UK on that momentous day determined whether the sovereign nation would remain a part of the European Union. The European Union, or “EU” for short, is a political and economic union, consisting of 28 European countries including France, Spain, and Germany. Its predecessor, the European Economic Community, was created after WWII, its goal being to further economic cooperation and interdependence amongst the member nations. With the Nazi regime still in mind the EEC hoped to avoid future conflicts through their bold economic efforts. Since the foundation of the EEC, 22 countries have joined the union, communally forming a single market (multiple countries trading amongst themselves without tariffs or restrictions), and the organization had shifted from solely economic connections into political ones as well, covering issues including Climate Change and Healthcare. Citizens of the EU (renamed in 1993) are able to travel to or work in any other member country they choose, and EU countries are required to treat all EU citizens the same as their own in terms of employment, retirement, and taxes. Since it is a single market, goods, services, and money travel more freely amongst the EU. In addition, the EU has created a communal currency across the continent, the euro, that 19
countries now use. The EU has become a very powerful influence on the entire globe, its interdependence and economic prowess propelling it to the world stage. In 2015, to secure election victories for his party, Prime Minister David Cameron promised to hold a nationwide referendum (general public vote) to decide if the UK would leave the EU, even though he personally opposed abandoning the Union. Supporters of a Britain absence from the EU, coined Brexit, were largely drawn from the ranks of conservatives and the far right. The UK Independence Party (UKIP) was formed for the very purpose of exiting the EU, and gave many enticing arguments. Brexit advocates, often called Brexiteers, pointed out the immediate monetary value of not paying the “membership fee” of sorts. The UK contributes £1.5 billion to the EU budget each year, and Brexiteers claimed this money could be put to better use. More importantly, Brexiteers said that a Brexit would help re-establish the UK as a sovereign power, with greater control on its trade policy and tariffs, more control of domestic affairs, and better control of the nation’s borders. In the end, although Brexit faced serious opposition and legitimate concerns, the citizens of the UK sided with disunion, winning the referendum with 51.8 percent of the vote. In response, Prime Minister Cameron resigned, refusing to preside of the UK’s separation from the EU, and Europe prepared for Brexit, set to take action March 29, 2019. Almost immediately after the votes were cast, and the decision to leave the EU was confirmed, the economy of Great Britain took a turn for the worse. The diplomacy that Britain has had with the EU also confirmed Brexit detractors’ greatest fears. Right off the bat, Great Britain was given a little over two years to negotiate a deal with the EU in how it will interact with the multinational political union. These negotiations are vital to both
parties; 53% of British imports come from the European Union, and 40% of EU imports come from the UK. The EU and Great Britain would have to face policies ranging from healthcare to immigration to trade, and all within two years. Since the United Kingdom and the European Union have been united for over 70 years, and as policies and and trade becomes more enmeshed, it gets increasingly difficult to untangle. The main decision for Britain is whether they want a “hard” or “soft” Brexit. A “hard” Brexit would mean that Great Britain leaves the single market, instead trading with the rest of Europe under World Trade Organization rules, and the country would get a larger say on border control and immigration. Alternatively, if the UK opted for a “soft” Brexit, it would remain as a part of the EU single market, where UK goods wouldn’t be subject to border checks, and Great Britain would have less control on the immigration of EU citizens. Should the UK leave with no deal, the results would be disastrous; without negotiating the EU peace treaties they’ve relied on, recreating the EU laws used by the UK, or creating new trade agreements, the UK would face catastrophe. As Brexit draws near, it is important for the United States and its citizens to understand the economics of one of its largest trading partners. Although Brexit is a dangerous prospect for many US businesses, citizens, students don’t seem to know much about Brexit, its causes or its possible outcomes. Alex Saville ’21 admitted that “he didn’t even know it was a thing,” and although Ahmad Ayoub ’20 felt confident in his opinion on Brexit “in general people should know more.” Donald Morton ’94 concurred, saying “we now live in a such a globally connected world, we cannot afford to avoid informing ourselves.” Brexit is a momentous task, and it is important for even American citizens to stay informed, as there are few people that Brexit won’t affect. In the next few months, we will hear a lot more about this!