Brexit | Teen Ink

Brexit

January 10, 2018
By Anonymous

Britain’s decision to leave the European Union or as it is commonly known, Brexit, was one of the most polarizing political moments of the last several years, but its reach has gone far past diplomacy.  The initial idea of leaving the European Union was already misguided, but the issues it has caused for the individual citizens have been far worse.  When the referendum voters choose to leave the EU in June 2016, they decided to give up the privileges that came with being citizens of the European Union.  They gave up the rights that come with being a part of it, something they are already beginning to regret.  As someone who is in the process of obtaining my English citizenship, I can see first hand what kind of issues the decision has caused the people of the United Kingdom.  It has essentially nullified the usefulness of my prospective citizenship and has caused concern in my family regarding the future of the country.  Brexit could be one of the most damaging political changes of the 21st century, due to the enormous scope of problems it will cause for the United Kingdom and its people. 


The decision of Brexit will primarily impact the nation of Great Britain when it comes into effect in the next few years.  The decision to leave the European Union could go one of two ways, be a success or send Britain on an incredibly unstable path without the support of the EU to help them incase it is necessary.  The process to leave has been an incredibly tedious one for the British due to many complications in the procedure.  Much of the government was forced to step down due to their pre-referendum stances on the matter, and this led to a complete overhaul of the system.  Unfortunately, this has caused the new Prime Minister, Conservative party member Theresa May, to have to tread a very fine line.   Britain was able to give themselves two years to leave the European Union, through Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty, which provided that time frame for every nation who choose to leave.  Shockingly 18 months later, no plan has been set in motion by the PM and her cabinet in order to leave.  This lack of planning has put the country into a precarious position of possibly leaving the EU and not having a strategy to fall back upon.  It is possible that if they are unable to come to a conclusion regarding a departure plan, the country could plunge into a state of chaos.  (ADD QUOTE/ANALYSIS).  The departure could also lead to a potential breakup of the United Kingdom, with one region of the UK that could be in danger of leaving.  Scotland have made it clear that they wish to remain in the European Union, and could possibly leave the UK to accomplish this.  Only a few years ago, Scotland nearly left the country prior to Brexit, so now that an incredibly unpopular measure has been passed, that could spur the country to push for a departure.  (EXPLAIN WHAT THIS WILL MEAN)


Lack of foreign investment?


All new trade agreements
This decision also will have major impacts on the citizens and the future citizens of the United Kingdom, like myself.  Being a citizen of the UK meant that you were also a citizen of the European Union as well.  This came with some enormous benefits that were  useful for British nationals.  One of the most commonly used privileges that came with being a part of the EU is that anyone with a passport of a member nation is able to live in any other country in the union.  Many people in England took advantage of this ability to live abroad, and were able to settle in a new country thanks to the freedom to move provided by the European Union.  However, due to Brexit, this will be eliminated due to the UK giving up the privileges that come with being a member of the EU.  This has caused many foreigners from other european countries now living in England, Wales, Northern Ireland, or Scotland to become concerned about their status in the UK.  My uncle is one of these people, he emigrated from the Netherlands to London when he was younger, yet he has not obtained a British passport and is still not considered to be a citizen.  It is possible that if the Brexit plan prepared by the PM and her cabinet does not address this matter he may have to leave the country.  It is also possible for there to be a major recession in the immediate aftermath of Brexit, due to lost trade deals with foreign nations.  This will likely come with a major loss in consumer confidence which will cause the LSE to fall in value.  This will likely affect all GB nationals, as a recession is a very serious threat, and due to the lack of preparation ahead of the move, it could hit the nation incredibly hard.


The author's comments:

I like England


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This article has 1 comment.


on Jan. 16 2018 at 8:50 am
22rbhattacharyya GOLD, State College, Pennsylvania
18 articles 2 photos 18 comments

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good article but I don't agree. Why should UK have to stay at a level playing field with countries like Greece or Slovenia. To make UK a better place it needs to get more competitive with less laws and regulations which the EU does.