• Contact
  • About
DONATE
NEWSLETTER SIGN UP
  • Login
North East Bylines
  • Home
  • News
  • Culture
  • Lifestyle
  • Business
  • Region
  • Opinion
AUDIO
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
  • Culture
  • Lifestyle
  • Business
  • Region
  • Opinion
No Result
View All Result
North East Bylines
Home News Brexit

What next for Brexit?

Giuseppe Bignardi analyses what will happen next now that Johnson's leadership is over

Giuseppe BignardibyGiuseppe Bignardi
16-07-2022 08:54 - Updated On 09-09-2022 10:38
in Brexit, Politics
Reading Time: 7 mins
A A
North East for Europe banner

Photo by Giuseppe Bignardi

Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Statement from the National

Rejoin March The National Rejoin March organisers are deeply saddened to hear of the death of Her Majesty the Queen. We would like to express our condolences to her family and to join in the nation’s mourning at this very sad time.

As a mark of respect for Her Majesty, we have taken the decision to postpone the march that was to be held on Saturday (10 September). We would like to thank everyone who has supported the march, which will be rescheduled to a date that will be published as soon as possible.


What is happening to Brexit? Noticeable consequences of Brexit include lorry drivers queues, longer times for passport checks and poorer arrangements for travel, such as the reintroduction of roaming charges.

But what about the economy? Although David Cameron had exaggerated the cost of Brexit in 2016, Brexit has caused real damage such as reduced exports to the EU, higher inflation  and reduced economic growth (GDP). Over time we will be able to make a better analysis.

Ultimately, the greatest boost to the economy comes from peace. We can see this with the Russo-Ukrainian war, which has exacerbated our cost-of-living crisis, despite the UK not being directly involved.

This and previous European conflicts have been caused by nationalism and revanchism. The EU is an effective antidote to these sentiments.

The European Union

The EU was born as a project to replace old rivalries and tensions arising from cross-border ethnic minorities and has proven to be an effective instrument for peace and democracy. Even in Northern Ireland, membership of the EU helped to calm down tensions, which have been reignited by Brexit.

Ukraine may end up being a new member of the EU, but we will also need a strategy to associate Russia with peace and democracy in Europe, if we want Russian revanchism to come to an end.

Freedom of movement

An important consequence of Brexit has been the loss of freedom of movement. It is now more difficult for Britons to move to EU countries to study, work or live there. It has also become more difficult for EU citizens to move to the UK, and this has worsened our workforce crisis.

Covid has shrunk our workforce, as an increasing number are out of work and not seeking work. With Brexit, it has become impossible to compensate this with workers from EU countries. Thus, we have seen staff shortages in many sectors including haulage, hospitality, construction farming, healthcare and air travel: the impact is severe.

The anti-migration rhetoric, which has characterised Brexit, does not match reality. Most developed nations (not just in the EU) have a net migration flow, and this is beneficial to the economy.

Leadership

Boris Johnson’s leadership has not ended well: false promises, plain lies and rule-breaking have caught up with him. However, the election of his replacement has been surreal, with candidates veering to the right in order to appeal to the party membership, which is a small and increasingly poorly representative.

Thus, many candidates have made unrealistic tax cut promises and have supported Boris Johnson’s pledge to break international law and rip up the Brexit agreements with the EU, in relation to Northern Ireland: that very agreement that Boris Johnson had described in 2019 as his oven-ready deal.

Mr Tugendhat has described Brexit as a “revolution” that could not be overturned. So much for democracy, supposedly based on the principle that the electorate can reverse any policies.

Remainers

What has happened to remainers? Many have regrouped in the European Movement: founded by Winston Churchill in 1948, and other organisations. In addition a National Rejoin March is taking place in London on 10 September.

Many remainers believe that the immediate priority is to rebuild a constructive relationship with the EU and to rejoin the customs union and the single market. This would align the UK with countries like Norway, which is not in the EU but has a close collaboration. This would be a better interpretation of the 2016 referendum vote than Boris Johnson’s hard Brexit.

Decisions about leaving or rejoining the EU, or about Scottish independence, are important and difficult to reverse and should not be based on a majority of 51.9%, as in the Brexit referendum of 2016. Public opinion on these issues is volatile and opinion polls conducted in 2017-2021 suggested a reversed thin majority in favour of Remain.

A large majority, as in the 1975 referendum that brought the UK into the EU, or two repeat referendums a few years apart, as envisaged by the People’s Vote campaign, are a better way to establish what is the settled public opinion.

I believe that, at some future time, we will have again a close association with our friends and allies in Europe, and we will probably rejoin the EU.


Mockup of gazette cover

Our monthly gazette is now available free to all newsletter subscribers

    Sign up! 
Previous Post

More than 200,000 Covid deaths recorded across the UK

Next Post

Durham Big Meeting: the Gala

Giuseppe Bignardi

Giuseppe Bignardi

Giuseppe Bignardi is a retired Microbiology/Infection NHS Consultant

Related Posts

Conservative logo on Union flag
Opinion

Immigration policy: how the party of family values truly values your family

byRobin Tudge
December 8, 2023
Gaza Oct 23
Opinion

Gaza’s statistics of death

byDavid Keys
December 7, 2023
hands holding candle
Community

75 years since Universal Declaration of Human Rights: celebration at Sunderland Minster

byNorth East Bylines
December 6, 2023
Margaret Thatcher
North East

In praise of Thatcher: has Starmer gone too far?

byJulia Mazza
December 5, 2023
Two young women holding hands in demonstration
Politics

Human Rights Day

byPeter Sagar
December 5, 2023
Next Post
Durham Miners Gala

Durham Big Meeting: the Gala

PLEASE SUPPORT OUR CROWDFUNDER

Subscribe to our newsletters
CHOOSE YOUR NEWS
Follow us on social media
CHOOSE YOUR PLATFORMS
Download our app
ALL OF BYLINES IN ONE PLACE
Subscribe to our gazette
CONTRIBUTE TO OUR SUSTAINABILITY
Make a monthly or one-off donation
DONATE NOW
Help us with our hosting costs
SIGN UP TO SITEGROUND
We are always looking for citizen journalists
WRITE FOR US
Volunteer as an editor, in a technical role, or on social media
VOLUNTEER FOR US
Something else?
GET IN TOUCH
Previous slide
Next slide

LATEST

Streetcare volunteers preparing lunch L to R Jenny, Diane, Dave, Joe, Marge

Streetcare bring warmth, food and companionship to the vulnerable

December 9, 2023
Peter Pan People's Theatre Actors on stage

The People’s Theatre is taking people to Neverland on a Christmas adventure

December 9, 2023
Conservative logo on Union flag

Immigration policy: how the party of family values truly values your family

December 8, 2023
Newcastle Civic Centre 

Newcastle City Council unveils youth justice plan

December 8, 2023
Riders on the storm by author Alastair McIntosh

Book Review: Riders on the Storm by Alastair McIntosh

December 7, 2023
The word humanity

Remember the call

December 7, 2023

MOST READ

David Lammy

Lammy’s mood music – sidestepping towards Rejoin?

December 2, 2023
Margaret Thatcher

In praise of Thatcher: has Starmer gone too far?

December 5, 2023
Gaza Oct 23

Gaza’s statistics of death

December 7, 2023
Polling station

Proportional Representation vs First Past the Post

November 6, 2022 - Updated On May 23, 2023

BROWSE BY TAGS

Audio Beach Brexit Business castle leazes climate activism Co. Durham comedy cost of living crisis Culture defra democracy ducklings Economy Education Environment fire and rescue firefighter Food & Drink food poverty hardwick festival Health Health & Care Home Affairs just stop oil Lifestyle Local Lockdown Northumberland Peace peoples theatre Performance Politics pride month refugee rescue Science Teesside the good life TV & Radio Tynemouth Tyneside Ukraine volunteer Wearside

We are a not-for-profit citizen journalism publication. Our aim is to publish well-written, fact-based articles and opinion pieces on subjects that are of interest to people in the North East and beyond.

North East Bylines is a trading brand of Bylines Network Limited, which is a partner organisation to Byline Times.

Learn more about us

No Result
View All Result
  • About
  • Authors
  • Complaints
  • Contact
  • Donate
  • Letters
  • Privacy
  • Network Map
  • Network RSS Feeds
  • Submission Guidelines

© 2023 North East Bylines. Powerful Citizen Journalism

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
    • Brexit
    • Education
    • Environment
    • UK News
    • Transport
    • World News
  • Politics
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
    • Culture
    • Music
    • Poetry
  • Business
    • Economy
    • Technology
    • Trade
  • Donate
  • Newsletter sign up
  • Boriiis Cartoons
  • Authors
  • Audio
CROWDFUNDER

© 2023 North East Bylines. Powerful Citizen Journalism

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In