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The opinions contained in this piece are not representative of the views held by the Etownian and are not to be considered statements from the Etownian editorial board.
Brexit — a word that has been thrown around quite a lot on the news and online for the past several months. I hadn’t had much of an idea about what it was beyond that it had something to do with the United Kingdom (UK) exiting the European Union (EU). However, this semester I have forgone charming little Elizabethtown for London, England.
Suddenly, it wasn’t just a matter of the news. People in London talk about Brexit all the time, and so I hear about it on trains, in cafes and out on the streets. This is the crux of British politics at the moment, and finding out more about it cannot be a bad thing.
Brexit itself, however, might very well be a bad thing. The first thing a British citizen said to me about Brexit was to suggest it as a comeback if anyone asked me about U.S. President Donald Trump. I had a sense that many people were not happy about Brexit, but having someone put it on the same plane as Trump gave me a perspective on just how detestable this deal was.
A short explanation of Brexit, as I understand it: Britain has voted to leave the EU, which lays out free trade and free travel of citizens between countries in the Union. As of right now, the Brexit date is set for Oct. 31 — Halloween: which is appropriate as this is a scary occurrence for Europe and the world.
Even though I have only met people who oppose Brexit, it was voted through, so there are a number of reasons to support it.
One reason that some people give for supporting Brexit is that they dislike how the UK needs to send money to Brussels, where the headquarters for the EU is. From there, the money is distributed to other members of the Union as they see fit. Some citizens do not want to be paying for this; however, others who supported staying in the EU worry that the UK leaving the Union will ruin the British economy and potentially even the global economy.
A second reason is a tense consideration of immigration. At present, citizens from EU countries can work in the UK without needing a work visa. Many economists say this is good for the economy, but some British citizens feel that these “outsiders” are using up important public resources. Frankly, this argument, like many in America, has some serious racist overtones.
Additionally, Brexit has to do with identity. Many citizens of the UK identify with the label of “British” rather than “European,” which contributes to the “us versus them” mentality.
In my opinion, and in the opinion of many British citizens, these arguments for leaving are weaker than the probable consequences of leaving the EU.
Another issue that complicates Brexit is the border between Northern Ireland, which is a part of the UK, and the Republic of Ireland, which is a separate body. The dividing line is the only land border that, when impacted by Brexit, would require more checks on trade goods. People are strongly in opposition to a hard border, so the EU calls for a backstop, which would be a temporary solution to prevent the need for extreme border checks.
Parliament opposed the backstop and rejected the Brexit deal offered because there is no specific time limit on the backstop, and they worry about having their options taken from them.
Since a deal has not been settled, the UK government aims to establish an agreeable deal at the EU summit Oct. 17.
If a new deal is not agreed upon, Prime Minister Boris Johnson is legally obligated to ask for an extension which would push Brexit back to January 2020. In spite of the law, Johnson has continued to insist that the UK will leave the EU, though it is unclear how this would happen. Evidently, all there is to do is wait and see what will happen this Halloween.
