Hola mis queridos amigos. ¡Hoy es el Día! Reino Unido abandona la Unión Europea! Podría parecer increíble pero finalmente ha ocurrido. Voy a intentar explicar un poco de este "Caos del Brexit"
Information: From Speak Up magazine.
Photos: wikipedia.org / english.heritage.uk
A BRIEF GUIDE TO UNDERSTANDING THE BREXIT CHAOS.
When former UK Prime Minister David Cameron called for a referendum on June 23rd 2016 on Britain leaving the European Union, he was confident that the British people would vote to remain. But he was wrong. After a highly controversial campaign, the referendum held returned a vote of 51.9 per cent to leave the EU.
UNCERTAIN FUTURE
And so the Brexit process began. On the 29th March 2017, Theresa May, the new UK Prime Minister, sent a letter to the EU making a formal request to leave, known as "triggering article 50". The UK then had two years to negotiate an agreement on higly complex issues of trade, laws, borders, finances and ctizens rights. The negotiation process has been traumatic and leaves more questions than answers about what the future relationship between Britain and the rest of Europe will be.
REGIONAL DIFFERENCES
Many areas of the UK, notably London and Scotland, are strongly pro-remain. London mayor Sadiq Khan is pushing for London to have special terms in any Brexit deal. Nicola Sturgeon, leader of the Scottish National Party, has set out that being forced to leave the EU could push Scots to demand another referendum on their independence from Britain.
NORTHERN IRELAND NIGHTMARE
Negotiating Brexit terms for Northern Ireland has been the hardest area of all. The Republic of Ireland will remain in the EU while Northern Ireland as part of the UK, will leave. Theresa May had faced the practically impossible task of finding a deal that avoids a "hard border" in Ireland while satisfying EU negotiators and the majority of MPs in the British Parliament.
CROSSING PARTY LINES
Confusingly, the decision to vote remain or leave is cause for division even within parties. The Labour Party campaigned against Brexit before the Referendum although their party leader, Jeremy Corbyn, is pro-Brexit. The Conservative Party is, in theory, pro-Brexit, but many conservative MPs have campaigned to remain in the referendum.
But, finally, Theresa May resigned and the Prime Minister Boris Johnson, pro-Brexit, took the charge of the Government and the negotiations with the EU again with no success at all. At that point, he had to call the British for a new General Election last December, with the result that Boris Johnson was re-elected as Primer Minister, and Brexit was a fact! Today January, 31st, is the day when the UK says goodbye to the European Union.
DISADVANTAGES
Anyway, the process of Britain leaving the European Union after 40 years, was going to be long, complex and painful. If Britain leaves the EU single market and customs union without a new trade deal, there is potential for chaos. British exports to Europe would carry high tariffs and there could be long customs checks at ports and airports.
The border between Northern Ireland and the Republic will become the only land border between the UK and the European Union. Since 1993 there has been completely free movement of goods and people across the Irish border. Post-Brexit there is the potential for this to become a hard border again, a situation that all sides have been desperate to avoid.
EU Customs Union. This includes all EU member states plus a few non-members. It does not allow countries inside the union to negotiate their own trade agreements. Goods traded between countries inside the EU customs union are free of import taxes or tariffs. The Union sets the tariff on goods entering from outside.
The single market is an area covering the EU member states, plus a few non-members. Inside the single market there is free movement of goods, services, people and money. Countries inside the single market use the same rules and regulations so that they can trade more easily with each other.
Foreign people working in the UK might have some problems and British people, living or working in the rest of the European Union, too.
University Agreements between the UK and the rest of the members of the EU, will not be possible any more...
And so on...
*******************************
Anyway, and this is my own opinion, I think that all of us will be stronger if we are all together! It's a pity that Great Britain leaves the European Union.
BYE, BYE GREAT BRITAIN!!!!!!
I WISH YOU ALL THE BEST!
