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THE BREXIT VOTE MEANS BRITISHNESS IS DISTINCT
A few days ago, Europe and the world awoke to a more uncertain planet. The British people have spoken, but the message was not a good one. The Brexit vote has impacted on the global economy and on the security and peace in the world. But it cannot be denied that the vote was a victory for democracy.
The result of the vote reveals that there is an inward-looking Britain. It reverses decades of the formation of international and regional alliances and unions aimed at ensuring peace and harmony in Europe and the world. It bolsters the interests of those who campaigned on a tide of xenophobia. It is a development that the world can do without. The Brexit vote is a victory for dangerous insularity which is a boost for extremist views that divide rather than unite.
The vote by Britons, even though narrow, to leave the European Union (EU) has opened a complex and potentially messy period for Britain and Europe that is likely to have severe consequences for Guyana and its partners in CARICOM. It will probably empower the anti-regionalists who are against CARICOM to follow in Prime Minister David Cameron’s footsteps and call a referendum on the future of CARICOM. It would be short-sighted.
The more important issue for Guyana and the CARICOM states is for them to take stock of the situation and to make sense of what has happened in Britain and its potential impact on the region. The CARICOM nations have to think seriously about reviving their policies with Britain and the EU.
They have to look at the uncertainty exemplified by the downward spiral of the sterling, the accompanying volatility of the global markets and the future of the UK and the EU economy.
There is also the uncertainty about the unity of the United Kingdom. There could be a referendum to determine whether Ireland and Scotland should leave or remain in the UK. Furthermore, given David Cameron’s post-defeat decision to step-down as Prime Minister, it is not yet clear when Britain, under a new Prime Minister, will trigger Article 50 of the EU Treaty which states the time member states have to exit the EU after a referendum to do so. Once the exit clock starts ticking, Britain will have two years to negotiate a post-membership agreement with the 27 EU states.
As its former colonial power, Guyana and the English speaking Caribbean have an historic relationship with Britain, which, along with the EU, have provided economic support to the region. But there are several issues Guyana and CARICOM have to consider as they try to adjust to the emerging, uncertain environment created by Britain. They have to restructure their economic and political arrangements with Britain and the EU.
Many in Britain will have to do a serious soul-searching, as they brace themselves for what will be an unprecedented period of political turmoil. Likewise, the EU will have to take a look at itself too. With the departure of the UK, the EU population will be reduced by 13 percent, its total economic output will fall by 17 per cent and its share of global trade will fall from 22 per cent to 18.2 per cent. The EU will no longer be the world’s largest single economy.
The impact of the Brexit vote will be that ‘Britishness’ will be seen as distinct from being a European. Britain can now make all its laws, negotiate its own trade deals and decide on the limit for immigrants from Europe.
Many Brits have always felt that English was superior to other languages, so while the typical European would be fluent in three or more languages, most Brits only speak English; the international language of communication and commerce. Britain will no longer be the financial hub for Europe because Europeans feel rejected and scorned by its exit from the EU. It is hardly likely that Britain will enjoy the benefits and same privileges with the EU.
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