Implications of leaving the EU Flashcards
Background info
On the 23rd of June 2016, the UK electorate were asked whether they wished to remain within the European Union or to leave in a now much contested referendum. The UK voted to leave by 52% to 48%. There are many different views as to whether leaving the EU has had positive or negative impacts for the United Kingdom and given the short period of time that the UK has been out of the EU it is difficult to truly know the long-term impacts, whether they be positive or negative.
List of factors
This essay will discuss the social, political, and economic implications for the United Kingdom as a result of leaving the EU.
Line of argument
This essay will argue that whilst the long-term impacts at this stage are unknown, evidence would suggest that leaving the EU has had very little positive implications for the U.K
Point one
One positive social implication for the UK leaving the EU is that the UK now has sovereignty over its borders.
Point one explain
This means that the U.K now has full control over its immigration policy and can shape this to align with its specific needs and priorities. This lets the U.K have more control over who it chooses to enter the country, prioritising people with skills and expertise which benefit the U.K’s socio-economic needs. It allows the U.K to address the public concerns over job competition, strain on public services and cultural integration. This is positive as by leaving the EU, the economy can be stronger as the domestic workforce is developed as education, training and skill-building initiatives are focused on and the U.K is able to build policies which benefit themself as it can be tailored to suit their individual needs.
Point one example
For example, in September of 2021, the points-based immigration system was introduced which prioritises the skills and qualifications of those who enter the U.K which helping to strengthen the workforce and overall economy.
Point one analysis
This would suggest that unlike when the U.K was inside the EU, their immigration policy can be better suited towards their needs and aspirations which allows them to obtain a stronger economy and a more diversified workforce.
Point two/rebuttal
However, stricter border control legislation is not necessarily a positive implication for the UK.
Point two explain
This is because the U.K now face a record high number of labour shortages as before leaving, anyone in the EU could live and work in the U.K, the U.K now prioritise high skilled/educated workers which means that they now have a deficit of lower-skilled workers. This is disadvantageous as it means that there are now a shortage of goods and a plethora of understaffed industries like retail, transport, manufacturing and construction. These shortages increase inflation as companies increase wages to attract workers but by doing so, the prices for goods also increase which also puts the economy at risk for being weak.
Point two example
An example of this can be seen through Brexit leading to a shortfall of 330,000 workers in the U.K workforce.
Point two analysis
This shows that Brexit has been disadvantageous for the U.K as unlike when they were in the EU, inflation is higher, and the economy is weaker as there has been a shortfall of lower-skilled workers which creates a gap in certain industries.
Point two link
While leaving the U.K and allowing them to have sovereignty over its borders has been a good thing as it allows the U.K to tailor its policies to suit its needs, overall it has been a negative thing as inflation rates have been driven due to lower skilled industries not having the workforce to keep them going.
Point three
Some argue that a positive economic implication for the UK is that they no longer have to contribute to the EU budget.
Point three explain
By no longer being a part of the EU, the U.K are now able to spend taxpayer’s money solely on things that will benefit Britain rather than funding EU projects which may not. It also means that the U.K has avoided contributing to liabilities created for the EU’s COVID response which helps to save the U.K significant amounts of money. This is also advantageous as the U.K is now able to tailor spending in order to suit domestic needs and what the British taxpayer wants like increase funding to the NHS and achieving net zero.
Point three example
For example, the 2024-2025 yearly expenditure on the NHS is projected to be £57 billion pounds more in cash terms than pre-Brexit (2016). This equates to £1 billion pound more a week.
Point four/rebuttal
However, one economic limitation is that the UK is no longer part of the EU customs union.
Point four explain
This is because the customs union allows all the customs authorities in every EU country to work as though they were one. They apply the same tariffs to goods imported from the rest of the world and have no tariffs internally, making it simpler and cheaper for member countries to trade inside the EU.
Leaving this union is disadvantageous as the U.K economy has been severely damaged as negotiating powers and free trading has been stripped away. British exports are more expensive for EU member countries which means that countries inside the EU are less likely to import produce from Britain, forcing companies to reduce the size of their operations or to completely move their operations away from the U.K. This, in turn, has increased unemployment rates and decreased the size of the economy.
Point four example
The U.K’s Office for Budget Responsibility determines that Brexit will reduce Britain’s output by 4% over 15 years and imports and exports are expected to be around 15% lower in the long run.
Point four analysis
This suggests that the economy will be worse than when the U.K was in the EU as imports and exports will be lower as they are more expensive for the EU and unemployment rates in the U.K will be higher due to the increased pricing.
Point four link
Overall, this shows that while no longer being in the EU is positive for Britain as they no longer have to contribute to the EU’s budget so can save money and therefore help boost the economy. It is overall, a negative thing as the economy has been severely hurt as trading with member countries of the EU is now more expensive so this led to a decrease which has led to an increase in unemployment and a weaker economy.
Point five
One positive political implication for the UK is that the UK is now able to have a more control over its democracy.
Point five explain
This means that when the U.K was part of the EU, they would sometimes have their hand twisted and have to accept policies which they may not have agreed with inside the European parliament, which may have benefitted the EU but have been detrimental to the U.K and their interests. By leaving, the UK parliament now has full control over their decisions and can no longer be overlooked in favour of the majority of international states. This is advantageous as the U.K can now make decisions that better align with their democratic values. Decisions made by the U.K alone allow for better accountability and make the decisions more transparent, allowing the British public to have more say over how their country is run and increasing participation in politics and a bigger representation of minority views in parliament and therefore making it more representative of British society.
Point five example
This is illustrated by the government announcing that all retained EU laws will be sunset on 31st December 2023, letting the UK to create regulations tailor-made for its people. Over 600 pieces of EU legislation such as a “control programme” designed to ensure compliance with maximum residue levels of pesticides and to assess consumer exposure to pesticide residues in and on food of plant and animal origin were written out of UK legislation.
Point five analysis
This clearly proves that the U.K now has greater control over its democracy than when it was in the EU as they no longer have to comply will legislations that the majority of international states have made which the U.K may not agree with.
