The UK and the EU: Brexit



Åpne bilde i et nytt vindu

CC BY-NC

Bilde: Gary Bates

Brexit is a combination of the words 'British' and 'exit', and is used to describe the process of Britain leaving the European Union.

Study the presentation below, to learn some facts about Brexit. There are questions to answer along the way.

Leaving the EU is a radical change for the United Kingdom, which will influence all areas of life in the country for many years to come. There have been so many connections between the UK and the EU that it can be difficult to foresee where problems will arise, and where solutions will present themselves.

When Britain was a member of the EU anyone from the EU, or the EEC, could come to the country to work or settle there. An immediate effect of leaving the EU is a shortage of workers in many businesses, from health care to transport. The National Health Service is one of the important sectors that has relied on doctors, nurses, and other workers from EU countries.

Because of challenges related to import and transport, shops have experienced shortages of certain types of food, leading to hoarding and panic buying. To what extent these problems can be attributed to Brexit, and how much is a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic is unclear. However, EU countries have not experienced similar supply-chain problems.

Many British people have worked or settled in the EU, or they own holiday homes in EU countries. Many were surprised to learn they could no longer travel freely across EU borders, and that they had to apply to remain in the countries they had lived and worked in for years.

The border between Ireland and Northern Ireland remains open, with Northern Ireland continuing to follow many of the EU's rules. This means that there has to be border checks on goods brought in from Northern Ireland to the rest of the UK.

Britain is no longer included in the EU's trade deals, and has to negotiate new deals with countries like Japan, China, and the USA. While the UK is one of the world's largest economies, the country has been placed in a vulnerable position, and it has proved difficult to secure beneficial trade deals. One example is that the USA wants privatised health care to be part of a trade deal, which is not welcomed by a majority of British citizens.

France has gained a stronger position in the EU as a consequence of Britain's exit. While Germany remains the country that sets the pace for the organisation, France has more influence now that Britain has left. This means that Britain will have to find a way to cooperate well with France in order to preserve a good relationship with the EU.

In October 2021, a conflict arose with France over fishing quotas, after Britain refused to give French fishermen quotas as agreed in the Brexit deal. France considered implementing sanctions against the UK, such as banning UK fishing vessels from French ports, or cutting off power supply to the Channel Islands. Conflicts such as this one, may become more frequent until a new set of rules for cooperation with EU countries has become firmly established.

There was concern that the pound would crash as a consequence of Brexit, but so far, that has not happened (April 2022). Observing the exchange rate, there has been a reduction in the value of the pound in the period 2016-2021 and some of that must be ascribed to Brexit, though from March 2020 the COVID-19 pandemic also played a significant role.

It was expected that Brexit would adversely affect British industry, especially those industries reliant on import and export. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it is difficult to assess whether Brexit has had a negative impact, as all industries have been affected by the pandemic. In 2021, due to a quick roll-out of vaccines and an early re-opening of society after the pandemic, there was a faster growth in the British economy than in other EU countries.

The chairman of the Office for Budget Responsibility, Richard Hughes, told the BBC that the consequences of Brexit was likely to reduce Britain's GDP by 4%, making it more harmful than the COVID-19 pandemic. There are also indications that the cost of living will increase faster than it has in 30 years, and that British people will have to live with a rate of inflation of 5%. This is likely to have a serious impact on many who are already struggling financially.

There is a concern that Britain will become more polarised as a result of Brexit. There are strong-held beliefs among both 'remainers' and 'leavers' that they were right, which can make it difficult to find common ground to build on, now that Brexit is a reality.

Before Brexit, there was concern that Scotland might choose to leave the UK and apply to rejoin the EU, if the result ended with Britain leaving the EU. In Scotland, a large majority voted to remain in the EU. While Scottish independence has so far not been seriously debated, it remains a possibility if Brexit has negative economic consequences for the UK.

The UK will continue to have a close relationship with Europe. This is where many of their most important markets are, and this is unlikely to change in the future.

If Britain is able to establish the trade deals it needs at a cost that is acceptable to its citizens, then Brexit need not be negative for the UK.

The UK was a member of the EU for over 40 years. In that time, the EU and the UK became closely connected. It is difficult at present to determine whether leaving the EU will be good or bad for the UK in the long run, as there are so many different elements and aspects to consider. It may look like the UK has placed itself in a vulnerable position by removing itself from a close-knit alliance at a time in which the world is facing a number of global challenges, but only time will tell what the consequences will be.