The United Kingdom’s withdrawal from the European Union is known as Brexit. Brexit happened for various reasons, including British dependence on the EU, terrorism, immigration, and economic problems in the EU. Brexit allowed the United Kingdom to have sovereignty and positively affected its political situation. Despite the high expenses associated with Brexit, it can be beneficial in the long term as it improves British international relations, environmental situation, and economy.
Many social, economic, and political factors influenced the United Kingdom to leave the European Union. According to the Standard Eurobarometer surveys, immigration, terrorism, and economic situation were identified as significant issues in the EU (Chopin & Lequesne, 2020). The United Kingdom was increasingly affected by the EU immigration policy and the economic crisis of the other EU members. Residents of the countries with unstable economic situations tend to move to more economically developed countries, and the European Union allows the citizens of the member countries to travel around the EU freely. The United Kingdom had to accept too many immigrants, which became dangerous for the safety and economic state of the country, so many British people wanted stricter immigration policies (Chopin & Lequesne, 2020). EU immigration control, terrorism threats, and economic crisis affected the United Kingdom’s decision to leave the European Union.
Despite Brexit’s economic and political issues, the United Kingdom does not stop implementing it. Exiting the European Union allows the British to have complete sovereignty and be independent of the EU decisions, including managing the budget and taxes (Fabry, 2020). Therefore, the United Kingdom does not have to pay contributions to the EU, which benefits the country’s economy, as the EU borrowed 750 million euros from 2021 (The Benefits of Brexit, 2022). Leaving the EU has many advantages for the United Kingdom, so the process is still implemented.
Long-term benefits of Brexit include improved international relations, fully autonomous economic decisions, and an improved environmental situation. The United Kingdom’s plans for the future are cooperating with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and eliminating all non-recyclable waste by 2050 (The Benefits of Brexit, 2022). Fabry (2020) highlights that the United Kingdom does not have a clear economic strategy, and many difficulties are yet to arise. Brexit can require significant economic expenses, but it is beneficial for the United Kingdom in the long term.
References
Chopin, T., & Lequesne, C. (2020). Brexit has not won over European opinions, quite the contrary. Jacques Delors Institute.
The Benefits of Brexit: How the UK is taking advantage of leaving the EU (2022). Crown.
Fabry, E. (2020). Brexit: the worst is yet to come! Jacques Delors Institute.