United Kingdom Votes for “Brexit”
June 24, 2016
On June 24, 2016, a taxi driver waves the Union Jack in Westminster, London, after British voters narrowly chose to leave the European Union in the historic “Brexit” referendum.
Credit: © Stefan Rousseau, PA Wire/AP Photo
Yesterday, June 23, British voters went to the polls to decide whether the United Kingdom (UK) should remain in the European Union (EU)—a contentious referendum nicknamed “Brexit” (British exit). By a 51.9 to 48.1 percent margin, voters narrowly chose to “leave,” sending shock waves throughout the UK as well as the rest of the world. Most business and world leaders had backed and expected a “remain” victory, and opinion polls too had predicted a narrow “remain” majority. Global economic markets and currencies dropped sharply upon the news, and British Prime Minister David Cameron, a strong “remain” backer, announced he would resign from office in the coming months. More than 33 million people voted in the Brexit referendum, a turnout of 72.2 percent.
The UK government is not bound by the “leave” vote, but politicians will no doubt respect its result. The process to leave the EU could take years, but the UK’s place in the partnership is immediately jeopardized. The UK could be excluded from votes on long-lasting matters and other topics of importance (such as its own Brexit). The European Parliament will hold an emergency session next week to discuss the vote’s result.
The consequences of the “leave” vote—beyond removing the UK from the EU—are widespread, lengthy, and somewhat uncertain. Cameron’s fall could be followed by many others, including that of Labour Party leader and fellow “remain” backer Jeremy Corbyn. The Brexit vote could also propel one of its most vocal supporters, former London Mayor Boris Johnson, into the vacancy soon to be left by Cameron as leader of the Conservative Party and possibly as prime minster as well. Other political ramifications could be the dissolution of the United Kingdom itself, as Northern Ireland and Scotland, who both voted against the Brexit, will be forced out of the EU against their will. Scotland in particular seems likely to revisit an independence referendum that was voted down less than two years ago. The vote also weakens the EU (the UK is the third largest contributor to the EU budget), and gives hope and strength to budding exit movements in other parts of Europe. Economically, time will determine how severe and long-lasting the currency and market crash will turn out to be. The Brexit vote also created panic and uncertainty among the hundreds of thousands of British citizens living and working in other parts of the EU.
To drum up support from right-wing British parties (which had long called for an EU exit), Prime Minister Cameron promised a future “in/out” EU referendum in 2013. The move helped Conservatives win parliamentary elections in 2015, but many party members then went against Cameron, who did not support a so-called Brexit. A “remain” victory—which at first seemed a near certainty—then fell into doubt. Right-wing groups and many others joined the “leave” camp. They based their support for an EU withdrawal on hopes of cutting off immigration, extricating the nation from the EU’s perceived heavy-handed bureaucracy, and “taking back control” of the UK’s place in the world. They also blamed Europe—the perceived gateway for migrants and refugees from elsewhere in the world—for such domestic problems as unemployment, stagnant wage growth, and high home prices. “Remain” voters supported the generally more favorable diplomatic, economic, logistical, political, and social conditions of EU membership.
By design and negotiation, the UK has been an unusual EU member since the partnership began in 1993. Most obviously, the UK did not join the Economic and Monetary Union when it was formed in 1999—meaning the British decided not to use the euro single currency (as do most EU members)—choosing instead to retain the pound sterling. Also, the UK is not part of the Schengen zone of passport-free travel (which includes the rest of the EU except Ireland). And, despite trailing only France and Germany in contributions to the EU budget, the amount the UK contributes as a percentage of its gross national income is the least of all EU member states.
