A Brief Explanation of the Brexit and How It Impacts You

Kayli Martin, Staff Writer Extraordinaire|August 25, 2016

The United Kingdom leaves the European Union.

Over the summer it was all over the news.

THE UNITED KINGDOM HAS LEFT THE EU! THE BRITISH POUND HAS DROPPED IN THE WORLD MARKET! THE PRIME MINISTER HAS RESIGNED!

Which, in all fairness, is very newsworthy. This vote is a defining moment not only in British, but world history, and the future is foggy in terms of what should happen next. In Europe right now, a sense of unease is present as both the EU and the UK try to figure out what to do.

‘But we don’t live in the UK or Europe,’ you’re probably thinking, ‘how does this affect me? Why should I be even remotely concerned over problems happening an ocean away?’

That’s a great question, and to understand it you have to understand a little bit of what was going on before the Brexit. Many of you probably are not even for sure what EU even is or does, or why the UK voted to leave in the first place.

Everything I am about to write glosses over some serious complexity, because if I explain the EU and Brexit in full this would soon turn from an article to a novel. I don’t want to write that, and I know you don’t want to read that. *narrows eyes at reader*

For starters, the European Union is an organization that was created after WWII to bring Europe back together again peacefully, and was sealed into a deal after France, Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, and West Germany all founded the European Coal and Steel Community. This community expanded in 1957 after the Treaty of Rome, and formed the European Economic Community. Soon enough, the countries in the community could trade freely with each other without charging, and in the decades that would follow, more nations would join– such as the UK in 1973. Over time this community came to be the EU, and the nations in membership with the EU meant that their people could travel freely between other EU countries without worries, and could legally be a citizen in all of them. They all would have the same currency, they would combine agricultural efforts, and European collision would be a thing of the past.

Which, in all fairness, sounds pretty awesome right? So why on Earth would the UK want to leave?

The answer is complicated, and ties back to when the UK joined in the first place and a recent election. The United Kingdom joined the Union hesitantly at first, and ever since then has had a strange relationship with the EU. Somehow being apart of the Union, but yet could keep the British pound and not follow the ‘Schengen’ rule (being able to go from one nation to another without a passport).

Then in a fairly recent election, the conservative party promised for a referendum to leave the EU if the public voted for them. Which you can take a guess what happened there from where we are now.

‘But what was the reason behind these Brits votes?’

As an American outside source, I can not give a proper explanation but I can tell you what I have gathered from studying it all summer. That an independent Britain was alluring, immigration was a HUGE aspect of it, and that some voted for it as a joke. Not really expecting the Brexit to happen (*frowns at Dan Gruchy*).

The vote itself was incredibly close and not every nation apart of the UK voted to leave. In fact, here soon if the UK is not careful an independent Scotland and Northern Ireland might be walking around.

Not only that, but the British pound could drop further, affecting us here in the states. Which could get worse if the banks decide to leave when negotiations end.

So, what next? Well… No one knows.

The UK has two years to smooth things over according to article 50 in the EU contract, and figure out what their relationship with the European Union will be like after those two years are up. Especially after the new prime minister said that they would not be doing a revote.

Meanwhile, the EU has problems of her own. The United Kingdom was one of the biggest nations in the community, and now they are at a negotiating stalemate as the UK is taking her time. Not to mention they also are now concerned that other nations might want to leave.

Personally, I don’t believe the referendum should have happened in the first place. It seems to me as if it was only a lure to attract voters to a certain party, and look at that party now. Revealing that don’t actually have plan, and that they would have to make one. Now the United Kingdom is in a seemingly precarious situation, and even if they do make a deal to stay as a semi-member of the EU, the British public would no longer be able to vote in laws concerning the EU, as they are no longer a full member. Bringing less freedom than I imagine many of them voted for.

Not too long after the Brexit occurred, a few friends of mine in Britain expressed how concerned they were. Including how many felt they would soon have to leave the country. I don’t know about you but if your people are uneasy enough to leave, I would start listening to what they say more. Along with giving them proper information, instead of whatever in order to get more votes for your party.

It is all one huge, chaotic mess that is foggy in terms of outcome. Many roads could be taken from here, and the only thing we can do is sit and watch with baited breath. As we watch those an ocean away, figure out what happens next.

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