World War-II gave a way for integration of Europe. May 1948, Hague Congress laid the foundation of the European Union (the EU) that finally appeared in its present form because of Treaty of Maastricht of 1992. UK was also its member. However people started criticizing the EU from very early for the reason that they considered the EU weakening nation state, its structure being more bureaucratic than democratic.
The UK Independence Party (hereinafter called the UKIP), founded in 1991, under the leadership of Nigel Farage had ben opposing or criticizing the EU for reasons that the EU is a fundamentally un-democratic institution and wanting to regain sovereignty of the UK from the EU. The UKIP had been advocating leaving the EU while maintaining trading ties with other European countries. The party leadership has suggested a referendum on whether the UK should leave the EU. Article 50 (1) of the Lisbon Treaty allows that any Member State may decide to withdraw from the Union in accordance with its own constitutional requirements.
Other main issues those were being considered and propagated by the group wanting the UK leave the EU were rising prices of goods and services; dominance of EU in tax matters over the UK; cost of membership; poor contribution of EU in R&D spending in Britain; environmental regulations; condition of UK farmers; common Fisheries Policy; and many more.
Anyway, referendum was agreed upon 23 June, 2016 was the appointed day for voting. Nearly 47 million people were registered to vote in the referendum. The referendum ballot paper asked the following question: "Should the United Kingdom remain a member of the European Union or leave the European Union." Throughout the day of voting both sides were out trying to sway undecided voters. 72.2% of registered voters (i.e.46,501,241) cast their votes and 51.9% votes were polled for Leaving the EU while 48.1% of votes were polled in favour of staying member of the EU. Hence, the people of UK opted to Leave the EU.
Map of the UK shows the clear divide on the regional, cultural and economic basis. A northwest-southeast divide in social class inequalities existed in Great Britain at the start of the 21st century, with each of the seven social classes having higher rates of poor health in Wales, the North East and North West regions of England than elsewhere. Steve Doughty reported in Daily Mail on 12 October, 2007 on that the South-East bankrolls the rest of the country, but it gets fewer policemen, worse health services and shabbier care for the elderly than anywhere else. Report of two Economic Research Groups showed that each person in the South-East pays nearly £2,000 more to the Treasury than he or she receives back in public spending on services such as schools, hospitals and infrastructure projects. Since, the EU has made policies for free trade among member countries it is apparently catering to the rich, imperialist and corporate sector. Workers and poor are not on its priority list. This aspect also led to the voters wanting the UK to leave EU outnumber those were in favour of staying in the EU.
But the result of this referendum has triggered a chain reaction of events. David Cameron, Prime Minister of the UK has been stepping down. British pound tumbles to 31-year low. Various leaders of different European countries have been worrying and now started deliberating to make EU more democratic and calling for reforms. German Chancellor Markel regrets and apprehends further division. Matteo Salvini, Italy's most prominent far-right politician also hails the Brexit vote as an example his country should follow. "Cheers to the bravery of free citizens," the leader of the anti-immigration, anti-E.U. Northern League wrote on Twitter. "Heart, head and pride beat lies, threats and blackmail. THANKS UK, now it is our turn #Brexit". Dutch parliamentary party leader Geert Weilders calls for Netherlands to hold referendum on its EU membership. French far-right leader Marine Le Pen says there should be a similar referendum about E.U. membership in France after Britons voted to leave the 28-nation bloc. Top European Union officials are hunkering down in Brussels trying to work out what to do next after the shock decision by British voters to leave the bloc. Spain’s acting Foreign Minister says his country should make the most of Britain’s decision to leave the European Union to press its claim for sovereignty of the disputed colony of Gibraltar.
Let’s see what happens next?
+---Malkeet Singh (23.06.2016)
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