June 23, 2016 –a monumental day the United Kingdom's history. Citizens voted to liberate their nation from the European Union's grasp. For too long, over half of the nation felt as if the unification they joined failed to live up to their expectations and, instead of helping, it hurt their nation. Ultimately, there was a 52% majority; that is all it took to alter the UK’s course in history and arguably their standing in this world.
To an outsider, we don’t quite see what good is going to come of this? The aftermath leaves an unclear, uncharted terrain that the UK must explore, and so far their voyage has left them in danger. The pound’s value has fluctuated within the first 24-hours of the vote. Prime Minister David Cameron resigns after news breaks that Great Britain will separate from the EU. Why would 17,410,742 people vote for a drastic change, take a risk that could just as easily fail, as it could succeed?
Immigration, sovereignty and cost are some of the reasons why this marginal majority voted to leave the EU, according to BCC. As a member of the European Union, any country’s citizen can move around throughout other European nations, claim benefits and legally be hired. Essentially, the migrants don’t pay into a system that pays for them. The United Kingdom saw a massive influx of immigrants looking for work and housing benefits, and they received both but didn’t have to pay into the system that supported them. It is the citizens of the UK that finance this migrant excursion. Over 300,000 EU citizens sought refuge in the UK in one year even after their attempt to keep the number under 100,000. This massive increase in foreign workers has supposedly caused a decrease in UK citizen’s wages.
Additionally, when entering into the European Union, it was understood that there would be international laws drafted by the European Union, and if supported by 65% of the nations, it would pass. Then, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) would enforce them throughout all allied nations. History has show that the ECJ shot down multiple arguments brought forward by the UK, therefore contributing to the citizen’s frustration with the EU. They believed that leaving the EU was the only way to escape dictation of a body of officials they didn’t elect.
Not only do they feel as if their nation is overcrowding and their rights are being infringed upon, but they are paying for this to happen. Ultimately, the UK ended up paying £350m weekly for a membership into a club that they claimed didn’t pay out for them. By leaving, this would free up billions and billions of pounds annually that could go towards other things.
With all this being said, why would someone vote to stay in the European Union? Because the European Union was, and is, still an experiment. It only existed for past 23 years, and although it wasn’t perfect, the union was making progress and the United Kingdom’s government was learning out how to work within the EU. Those part of the 48% who believed that a long term investment in the EU would eventually pay off, had their own solutions to the problem which the marginal majority believed was unfixable.
The minority recognized they were one of the major financial contributors to the EU, but they weren’t the largest. They also saw room for improvement. Great Britain’s own Prime Minister Cameron concocted a plan that would limit EU migrant's benefits for the first four years they reside within the UK. Additionally, Cameron introduced a new form of legislation that would allow the United Kingdom to block EU legislation if they so desired. Most importantly, the minority understood if they ended up leaving the EU, they would still have to pay to participate in the trade market. However valid the minority’s argument is, their voice was not loud enough. The noise created by the majority did not outweigh the minority, but it heavily impacted the polls.
Now, the United Kingdom stands divided, and must find a way to survive in this uncharted territory, this new terrain. They are a sovereign yet again, but their leader resigned and the value of the pound's value is oscillating. The legal EU migrants who live and work within the UK are currently left in the dark and the fate of their lives left in the hands of government officials. Nonetheless, this isn't something that will change overnight, the process of separating from the European Union might take years. Now that the vote has taken place, it is up to the government to decide when to formally notify the EU of their withdrawal.Well, first the Prime Minister, either current or the next, will have to reach an agreement formally known as the Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty. This is a law enforced by the European Union where the withdrawing nation must "[set] out the arrangements for its withdrawal, taking account of the framework for its future relationship with the Union." After Article 50, it could take up to two years to lay out the terms and agreements between the United Kingdom and the EU. During this negotiation period, the UK might lose some of its power due to Cameron's resignation.
Where will this influential nation stand next week, next month, even next year? Now, it is possible for the UK to rejoin the European Union in the future, but the question is will they? The world is watching and Great Britain's friends from across the pond are curious to see what will come next. But, as Michelle Obama once said, "courage can be contagious and hope can take on a life of its own." Stay strong, keep faith, and congratulations on reaching a decision, UK.
