Brexit continues to polarize the British seven years after its approval in a referendum

2023-06-23 20:59:00

London City Hall lit up in the colors of the European Union flag Greater London authority | EFE

Johnson credits it with “all sorts of benefits” while the Tony Blair Institute sees “undeniable” damage to the economy

23 jun 2023 . Updated at 9:01 p.m.

Time heals all, they say, but in the case of brexit The seven years that have elapsed since the referendum that opened the doors for the United Kingdom to leave the EU have proved to be insufficient to make a consensual and restrained assessment of the decision. Polarization on the matter continuesespecially among the political class.

Thus, for example, the former Prime Minister Boris Johnson He took advantage of the date to reappear, after resigning his seat. And after congratulating his compatriots for the “independence Day”, the former president assured that the divorce of the Twenty-seven has brought “all kinds of benefits.” «From new free trade agreements to the rollout of vaccines [contra el covid-19] fastest in Europe (…) Don’t listen to the prophets of doom“, he wrote on Twitter.

However, from the Tony Blair Institute they affirmed that the damage that the brexit has caused the economy is “undeniable.” “UK GDP per capita growth is the lowest in the G7 since 2016. Before the brexitthe UK had one of the most open economies among the G7 countries, but now sits at the bottom of this group, having recovered more slowly than other economies from the pandemic,” the center wrote in a report.

The Scottish Government ruled in similar terms, denouncing that brexit It has meant “limited economic growth, restricted trade, rising food costs and fewer opportunities for young people.”

But as the British establishment remains divided, the public seems to be beginning to realize that the divorce was not a good idea. So 58% of Brits say they would vote to rejoin the community club, if a new referendum on EU membership were called, revealed a survey by the company Yougov. The data from the demographic study represent a growth of 12 points compared to 2021.

For its part, a BBC poll showed that 20% of those who in 2016 voted in favor of the brexit today they would support the option of remaining in the EU.

The tension that the matter generates was confirmed this Friday, when the Government of Rishi Sunak blocked the intentions of the London Mayor’s Office to raise the community flag at its headquarters, to remember the date on which a pyrrhic majority (52% compared to 48) decided to make the United Kingdom the first country to leave the EU and in solidarity with the community residents of the British Isles.

Filed Under: Brexit UK Boris Johnson