Brexit
is the term used to refer to the United Kingdom’s decision to leave
the European Union (EU) and is a shortened version of British
Exit.
On June 23, 2016, the UK decided to officially sever ties with the
EU. This monumental decision came as the result of a referendum—or
public vote of nearly all citizens of voting age—in which more than
30 million people voted.
THE ARGUMENT FOR BREXIT
The
push to leave the EU was advocated mostly by the UK Independence
Party and was not supported by the Prime Minister, David Cameron.
Members of the UK Independence Party argued that Britain’s
participation in the EU was a restrictive element for the country.
As
one of the EU’s primary initiatives is free movement within the
region the party’s main arguments centered around regaining border
control and reclaiming business rights. In addition, supporters of
Brexit cited the high EU membership fees as a negative aspect of
participation in the EU. It was argued that if the UK separates
itself from the EU, these fees can be used to benefit the UK.
THE ARGUMENT AGAINST BREXIT
The
Conservative Party and the Prime Minister were strongly in favor of
remaining with the EU. As a result of the decision to discontinue its
participation in the EU, the Prime Minister has made a public
statement that he will be relinquishing his position. He believes
that the country needs a leader with the same goals as the majority
of the country. He has promised a new PM will be in place by early
September.
The
first phase of ongoing Brexit talks includes the rights of expats in
Europe and EU citizens in the UK as well as the Brexit bill and the
issue of the Irish border.
Under
Article 50, Britain is scheduled to finally leave the EU by the end
of March 2019.
Mrs
May has said she plans to leave the EU's single market to regain
control over immigration and end the supremacy of EU laws.
The
Prime Minister is also pushing for a 'bold' EU free trade deal, while
the UK is expected to come out out of the customs union in its
current form.
MPs
and peers will be given an vote on the final EU deal after two years
of Brexit talks come to an end.
