The political screenplay of the scheduled withdrawal of the UK from EU (Brexit) after the referendum held in the UK on 23rd June 2016, in which 52% supported the Brexit while 48% were against it, is at the crest of showing no signs of closure. This muddled up situation in the UK is presently due to its seeds sown in the past when the UK continued the membership endorsed in the 1975 referendum. However, in the 1970s-1980s the political left, that is, Labour’s party started raising their voice for its withdrawal from European Communities (EC).
With the rising voice of withdrawal by left-wing, the Eurosceptics of the Conservative Party, who also advocated this withdrawal, rebelled against the ratification of the 1992 Maastricht Treaty, which established the EU. This continued referendum was held by the UK Prime Minister, David Cameron, who campaigned to remain in EU, resigned after the result and was succeeded by Theresa May. She took a lead and the UK government formally started withdrawal on 29 March 2017. The UK government announced a plan which was based on initially accepting the Unions Customs rules on goods and limiting the visa-free travel. This plan caused enormous retaliation from every nook and corner. The Northern Irish Democratic Unionist Party, whose support she relied upon to allow her minority government went against her.
The British government refused to ratify them thrice. Eventually, after several attempts, May resigned in July 2019, succeeded by, Borris Johnson. The new Prime Minister of the UK took a vow on 24 July 2019 with the endeavor to achieve the withdrawal of UK with or without any agreement. This made him encounter three successive crushing beatings in parliamentary votes on September 3, in less than 24 hours. These were his first votes in Parliament and with this fiasco crush; it gave him a major setback as he lost his working majority in the Parliament, who voted against the ‘no-deal’ Brexit Bill.
Anthony Grayling, a philosopher, who is a master of NGH at Northeastern University, says, “By the UK government’s own analysis, and informed opinion from business, the transport industry, the health series, economists and observers, a ‘no-deal Brexit’ would be extremely harmful to the UK economy and people, would have a serious effect on Ireland, a bad effect on the rest of the European Union and would send negative ripples into the world economy.”
The future of Borris and Brexit couldn’t be less certain. Perhaps, at this point, even the Kingdom’s future as a united one shouldn’t be taken for granted.
Shweta Tripathi