Confused about Brexit? Essentially it boils down to these 3 things
Party lines are being crossed, people are defecting, but why?
- UK heads to the polls tomorrow in what could be a make-or-break vote for country's future
- The economy, immigration policy and identity are the key areas of debate
The UK's Conservative government is completely split on the issue of the upcoming referendum on EU membership, which could cause permanent divisions within David Cameron's cabinet, whichever way the vote goes on Thursday.
Plenty on the left are divided also. Jeremy Corbyn's Labour party face, albeit much less, dissent on the European issue. Corbyn himself has been accused of not showing appropriate enthusiasm for the Remain campaign, despite identifying as on their side.
Passion, rhetoric, insults, and it's all boiling over. But what are the main issues with tomorrow's Brexit vote? What is all the fuss about? Here are the three main issues causing debate:
1. The Economy
The Remain campaign's biggest weapon has been the predictions of various economic experts that the UK's financial situation will suffer in the aftermath of a vote for Brexit. Although the IMF, the OECD, and the UK Treasury differ on the extent of the damage, it's all clearly warning against a Leave vote.
The Remain campaign's biggest weapon has been the predictions of various economic experts
Why? Primarily, because of trade. A far larger share of the UK’s exports go to the EU than vice-versa. Leaving the EU’s free-trade bloc puts a big chunk of these goods and services at risk, were tariffs or other barriers to be imposed on them. Hoards of business leaders have lined up to say that they would cut jobs in Britain if it was not inside the EU.
The Leave campaign have dismissed the forecasts as "scaremongering". Boris Johnson said yesterday that "I think you should listen to people who make things rather than people who speculate on market movements".
2. Immigration
Perhaps just as important as the financial aspect is that of immigration, which has been the Leave vote's most vocal weapon against they see as the EU's drawbacks for Britain.
Along with the free movement of goods and services across borders, EU law provides that citizens are free to live and work in any member state. As the bloc expanded to poorer countries in the east, Britain’s relatively buoyant economy and job market has attracted a large number of migrants from places like Poland, the Baltics, Romania, and Bulgaria.
EU law provides that citizens are free to live and work in any member state
Supporters of Brexit argue that the current system is unfair, as unskilled workers from European countries have more rights than those from outside the bloc. The feeling is among locals who compete with new arrivals is that they are taking jobs, pushing down wages, and consuming public services at the expense of established communities.
UKIP leader and euro-hater Nigel Farage came under crtiticism last week for endorsing a campaign poster which many deem to have contained racist overtones. Since the murder of MP Jo Cox the harsh immigration focus has been toned down to an extent.
3. Identity
For many undecided voters, this could be the last-moment decision-swayer. When you're standing in that poll booth with the pen in your hand, what is Britain for you?
When you're standing in that poll booth with the pen in your hand, what is Britain for you?
Remain supporters will value a lot their independence and the doors that being a European opens up.They generally believe in community, and tend to define it as broadly as Europe, or even more globally than that. They give primacy to the need for countries to work together.
Their opponents on the Leave side however are more likely to define their community as a broadly British and local one, and one that they believe will be able to be controlled better the less ceilings there are above their head.
Whichever way the outcome unfolds, it's clear that Britain is facing a split on this issue of identity, and a comprehensive win for either side is unlikely to heal that existential scar anytime soon.
