In 2020 Britain left the European Union, and removed itself from the economic and political hub of the European mainland. Brexit itself caused a division within the country, as only 51% had voted to leave in 2016. The propaganda and misinformation that overshadowed the vote, led to a confused and poorly planned election. The effects have been tremendous. Only in hind sight did the British public realise they had been swindled, but why did it happen and what should the future choice be?
The two main causes of Brexit were misinformation and the electoral base. Primarily the government and other politicians facilitated the choice in the first place. Prime Minister David Cameron chose to call a vote as he was under political pressure, and he had wildly assumed that the British public were well versed in the complexities of international affairs. They were not. This allowed fearmongering and scapegoating, suggesting that the EU was a direct threat to British Sovereignty and that independence would provide us the tools to improve our economy and reduce immigration. However these were never feasible outcomes.
On the surface the EU provided trade links and free movement, in exchange for huge fees and detrimental laws. However the intrinsic nature of international communities, is never that simple. Even for those who are well versed in international politics, the EU is a complex and expansive body, not one that can be understood through simplistic terms. Therefore to allow any voter base to tackle such an insurmountable question, was reckless. A choice for which Cameron forever bares the consequences.
This leads on to the electoral base itself, those who were given the power and responsibility to Influence the future of Britain’s European relationship. The journal ‘Economic Policy’, in 2017, conducted a survey on the demographics of the election from which we base this argument. Those from poorer economic backgrounds with fewer qualifications were more likely to vote leave, influenced by the political propaganda machine. This was founded on the belief that leaving the EU would increase job opportunities and improve the cost of living. Another major demographic group was the elderly, who wished to return to socially conservative values, ones that the EU were modernising against. These were encompassed by the overarching theme of white votes, who the majority of voted to leave.
These demographic patterns can be summarised by Thomas Sampson, “Voting to leave the European Union was strongly associated with holding socially conservative political beliefs, opposing cosmopolitanism, and thinking life in Britain is getting worse.” (Sampson, Thomas (2017). “Brexit: The Economics of International Disintegration)
Overall it is clear that a clear association was made between personal and local issues, with a wider European blame. Many of those that did vote leave, either have passed on and cannot experience the consequences, or regret their decision after seeing the negative effects of the Referendum. Yet the question remains, what comes next?
In recent years, the temptation of re-joining the EU has become increasingly appealing. The benefits of the EU are now more apparent than ever, as we are actively missing out on them. However, the Referendum divided the country, and no Prime minister or Government would willingly re-join without the political benefits of doing so. Although it would be divisive even today, it would be a fairly easy endeavour to take our place back in the international community.
The conversation around the descent into federalism, and the potential loss of Sovereignty, takes away from the truth of the situation. We as a nation made a mistake. Could we have done it differently? Absolutely. Yet the past is the past and we must progress nonetheless. The EU will never take our culture nor our independence, and it is time that Britain realises that it is no longer an empire and does in fact need allies. For the benefit of all her citizens and for the rest of Europe.
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