It's been five years since Brexit, where does Britain stand now?

 Friday, January 31, 2025

Islamabad (News / Pakistan Point News - DW Urdu - 31 January 2025) At 11pm London time on 31 January 2020, when it was midnight at the EU headquarters in Brussels, Britain officially left the European Union after almost five decades. This membership guaranteed free trade and free movement between the UK and 27 other European countries.

For Brexit supporters, Britain thus became a “sovereign country” again, able to determine its own future, while for opponents it was the beginning of an isolated and weakened country.

According to the Associated Press, the division among the British public regarding Brexit was also very clear, which was taking steps in an unknown direction.

Five years later, people and businesses are still struggling with economic, social and cultural shocks.

“The impact has been really profound,” says Anand Menon, a political analyst and head of the UK in a Changing Europe think tank. It has changed our economy.”

“Our politics have also fundamentally changed,” he added.

We have seen a new national divide emerge around Brexit, which has become part of electoral politics.”

A decision that divided the nation

Britain, which has a strong sense of its historical significance, has always been a disgruntled member of the European Union. In June 2016, it held a referendum on whether Britain should remain in the union or leave.

Decades of industrial decline, public budget cuts and rising immigration fuelled the idea that Brexit could help Britain regain control of its borders, laws and economy.

But the result, 52 percent to 48 percent in favor of Brexit, surprised many. Neither the then-pro-EU Conservative government had any alternative plan, nor did Brexiteers have a comprehensive strategy for dealing with the complexities of separation.

The referendum was followed by years of disputes over the terms of Britain’s exit from the EU, which deeply affected the British parliament and led to the resignation of Prime Minister Theresa May in 2019. She was replaced by Boris Johnson, who vowed to “get Brexit done.”

A blow to the British economy

The UK left the EU without a deal on its future economic relationship, even though the EU accounted for half of British trade.

This was followed by 11 months of intense negotiations on the terms of the exit, which finally ended with an agreement on Christmas Eve in December 2020.

The deal took the UK out of the EU’s single market and customs union. This meant that there would be no new taxes or quotas on goods, but businesses faced additional paperwork, costs and delays.

Unexpected consequences

In many ways, the impact of Brexit has not been as far-reaching as its supporters or opponents had hoped. The global Covid-19 pandemic and the Russian-Ukrainian war have added to the UK’s economic woes, making it difficult to gauge the true impact of Brexit.

In the case of immigration, the impact has been quite the opposite.

A major reason for voting to leave the EU was to reduce immigration, but immigration levels in the UK are now much higher than they were before Brexit, as the number of work visas has increased globally.

Will the UK and the EU ever get closer again?

Polls show that a large majority of the British public now see Brexit as a mistake, but the UK is less likely to rejoin the EU.

Given the recent sharp divisions and disagreements over the issue, most people are reluctant to revive the debate.

Labour Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who was elected in July 2024, has promised to “reset” relations with the EU, but he has made it clear that the UK will not rejoin the EU’s customs union or single market.

He only wants to improve travel for artists, recognition of professional qualifications and security cooperation in limited areas.

EU leaders have welcomed Britain’s changed diplomatic language, but the EU itself is grappling with growing public unrest and nationalist sentiments. Britain is therefore no longer a top priority for the EU.