Examining the economic and political consequences of Brexit: a comprehensive analysis of the UK’s journey towards a no-deal scenario.
In any negotiation, be it political or not, you can never have everything you want, especially in a scenario where you have shared so much for so long. The no-deal scenario looks ever more likely, though it is starting to feel more like a pissing contest than negotiations. This is an Etonian boys’ club complaining about very little.
From the beginning, the referendum was a farce, built on the egos of politicians looking to strengthen their political careers. David Cameron called a referendum to prevent Conservative party members from joining UKIP (now virtually non-existent), which was gaining popularity at the time due to a continued anti-immigration sentiment fueled by tabloid media.
The referendum was supported by all parties, and rather than sticking to their principles, this support was merely a display of populism. Offering a referendum on EU membership, a complex and intricate economic issue, without ensuring a thorough political understanding, was a grave mistake. The issues being debated were few, and the consequences of leaving were poorly explained to the public. Providing an option to the masses for such an oversimplified question – ‘In/Out’ – without considering whether there was a sufficient understanding of our synergy with the EU, was financially suicidal.
Leaving at a time of a pandemic is beyond comprehension. Supermarkets stockpiled for a no-deal scenario, only to run out of supplies when panic buying swept across the country. Now shops are stockpiling again, and Johnson’s 5-day window plan for Christmas seems almost certain to trigger a third wave of infections, leaving supermarkets vulnerable once more.
But the real issue to be discussed is the government’s strong preference for a no-deal outcome over a mutually beneficial agenda. The government set out guidelines for cutting emissions, which, although already weak, become harder to implement without a cooperative approach to tackling climate change. Furthermore, excuses like “it will be choppy” and “we can survive” following a no-deal outcome show that ministers and administrators are out of touch. The government’s own assessment reveals that the UK will be poorer and worse off, indicating that Conservative politicians are insensitive to the needs of the British public. The mindset of Conservative politicians seems to revolve around a competition of who can urinate higher, and when they don’t see the public, they don’t seem to care about them.
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