How News Sources Portray Brexit Policies
This chart shows how major news sources across the ideological spectrum frame brexit policies, from left to right-leaning perspectives.
The European Economic Community (EEC), established in 1957 by France, West Germany, Belgium, Italy, and other founding members, was the precursor to today’s European Union. In 1963, Britain applied and was rejected by French President Charles de Gaulle. De Gaulle initially vetoed their application due to his perception that Britain was too pro-American and overlooked European issues for its benefit. Finally, in 1973, they were accepted into the EEC. In just two years, the United Kingdom (U.K.) held a referendum on the question of the U.K. staying in the European Common Market. 67% of Britain voted yes on the issue. The Labour Party split over the decision, and the pro-Europe wing split to form the Social Democratic Party (SDP). U.K. Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher attempted to reduce British Payments to the EEC. The U.K. was one of the poorest nations in the community, but had to pay more than other countries. She lowered expenditures from 20% to 12%. The Maastricht Treaty, enacted in 1993, created the European Union we see today. The treaty attempted to integrate politics into the European economic landscape.
Final Stages of Brexit
The U.K. continued to fight for rights in the EU. In 2011, U.K. Prime Minister David Cameron became the first U.K. Prime Minister to veto an EU treaty. Cameron continued to fight for the U.K. and its rights in the EU. After issues on immigration and international affairs, the U.K. announced yet another referendum. This referendum barely passed, leaving Northern Ireland and Scotland wanting to remain a part of the EU. Theresa May initiated the task of leaving the EU when she took office in 2019, after the referendum was voted on. After a series of extensions, U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson took office and took up the task of leaving the EU. In December 2020, the United Kingdom was no longer a part of the EU.
British Stance on Brexit
The Tories make up most of the individuals who want Britain to leave the EU. The Conservative Party in the U.K. wishes to have more freedom and rid the country of unjust laws and protocols. Boris Johnson, U.K. Prime Minister from 2019-2022, led the conservative party and the push for Brexit. The Labour Party voted for Brexit but is often split on issues. The SNP was firmly against Brexit, stating that Brexit was directly against Scotland’s will. The SNP claimed that Brexit would cause severe economic implications, considering the EU was the largest single market and customs union. The Liberal democrats had very little representation in parliament, forcing them to change their stance on Brexit. Initially strongly against Brexit, the liberal democrats promised to stay in the EU if they won a majority. This did not happen, and the liberal democrats were forced to support Brexit but wished to stay as close to the EU as possible to preserve economic status.
What Republicans think about Brexit
Upon exiting the European Union, President Trump congratulated Boris Johnson and the rest of the U.K. on this achievement. While neither political party has an official stance on the issue, multiple figures have issued statements regarding it. President Trump has backed Brexit and aided the U.K. in its endeavor to leave the EU. Several other Republican politicians, including Sarah Palin, Ted Cruz, and Tom Cotton, have issued statements congratulating the U.K. The Republican party members see Brexit as a freedom movement, moving away from the grip of the EU and towards national sovereignty. Boris Johnson and the Tories align with conservative groups in the United States, thus aligning with the republican party.
What Democrats think about Brexit
United States’ Democrats believe that the U.K.’s exit from the EU leaves the U.K. less powerful and a less meaningful trade partner. Without the U.K.’s foothold in the EU, it is difficult for the United States to be involved in EU affairs. Another concern for Democrats in the United States is a further gap between Ireland and the U.K. With different currency and tariff concerns, democrats advocated for the preservation of the Good Friday Agreement, which established and maintained peace between Ireland and the U.K. A deal was negotiated within Brexit that prohibited tariffs on Ireland and maintained the peace. United States democrats have typically aligned themselves with the Labor Party. The Labour Party embraced bipartisanship and voted for the bill, but denied any responsibility for the outcome and ultimately disagreed on many terms and thus aligned with United States democrats on the issue.
Implications of Brexit
The U.K. voted 51.9% to leave the EU while the other 48.1% voted to stay, according to the BBC. There had been growing tension between the EU and the U.K. for a multitude of reasons. The first being the U.K. leaving behind the Euro and using its form of currency: the pound. Travel restrictions and immigration were reasons why the majority of the U.K. wanted to leave the EU as well. The referendum undoubtedly would raise economic questions, especially in regards to its number one trade partner, the United States. The U.K. and the EU would need to work together to minimize economic fallout and keep their trade partners. Different sectors have reached out and offered their help in this endeavor to keep simplifying economics under the new circumstances. The U.K. is entering uncharted economic territory, and many experts wish to minimize the damage caused by Brexit to the world economy through cooperation. In other words, the U.K. and the EU need to cooperate in order to maintain world peace and stability.
Applications of Brexit
Since leaving the EU, the U.K. has faced a severe trade deficit, specifically seen with exports. Exports are anywhere between a 6% and 30% reduction since leaving the EU. Without the interdependence and trade within the EU, known as the single market and customs union, the U.K. is struggling to reach those countries under new laws and ordinances. The U.K. had been part of the EU for decades, allowing the government to be lax on certain subjects that the EU mostly governed. After Brexit, the U.K. Parliament had some catching up to do. 6,901 European Union laws were adopted by the U.K., known as retained EU law.
The media sources used in this post can be viewed and analyzed for Bias at Biasly’s media bias chart. To explore how each party views other key policies, view Biasly’s full list of Political Party Stances.
