Brexit five years on: The reason few are celebrating | DW News

It's five years to the day that the United Kingdom left the European Union. That happened after a divisive vote that split the electorate down the middle and left the nation divided. The social bruises from that battle may have faded. But it's fair to say this fifth anniversary isn't been marked by huge street parties either.

Polls say a majority of British people now think Brexit was a mistake. But there's also very little support for rejoining the European Union. Too great was the trauma of the polarization and arguments surrounding the Brexit debate.

Five years on, people and businesses are still wrestling with the economic, social and cultural aftershocks. Here's the CEO of one small business with customers in the EU.

Chapters:
0:00 Brexit, five years on and mostly forgotten?
1:28 Catherine Barnard, Law Professor, Trinity College

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[colbr]

If Brits had stayed, they would now be saying they should have left. The economic challenges are predominately a UK issue.

[Gargoyle_]

Remember what they said in 2016?
"They need us more than we need them!"
"We hold all the cards!"
😂 How well did that age?

[mnizammasood]

In 2016, my friend flew back to the UK just to vote for Brexit. He said it will enhance trade and lower immigration. Maybe he just didnt notice that he is an immigrant himself in my home country. One thing that I asked him, what are the things that the UK produce that countries cant get elsewhere in cheaper prices? He just keep silent.

[FirestormVTR]

As someone who voted to remain with the EU I am furious at the decision to leave; the disastrous and reckless way that the Conservative Party managed the exit; the lack of effort by the Labour Party to address our current and future relationship with Europe; the way that almost all politicians in Parliament will not mention Brexit (apart from the Lib Dems); the lack of accountability of anyone in Parliament to take any responsibility for this act of national self-harm. The UK had a strong position nationally, in the EU, and internationally beyond Europe, and we spunked it away because of the vanity projects of a few irresponsible individuals, many of whom were not elected representatives, and were merely a gobby protest group. I am absolutely fizzing with fury and anger.

[Steven-voee]

Those who wanted Brexit the most are now saying "Why are we still talking about Brexit? It was years ago, move on". That alone demonstrates nothing good has come of it.

[thepax]

A majority of the UK citizens now think, what everyone told them in 2016

[Iam-zdbj]

These big wounds are, I understand, wounds of stupidity that hurt when you remember that .

[matthewbaynham]

Not one single good thing happened as a result of Brexit except we got blue passports which we could've had anyway regardless of Brexit. But then British people lost their freedom of movement in the EU and businesses lost their customers in the EU, and trade deals with non-EU countries evaporated which also had a negative effect on business, so people lost their jobs.

[bobfrog]

Brexit...brought to you by the same people who brought us Trump.

[bumberClart]

It needs to be held accountable for a total failure that it became

[ZedWolffy]

As far as I know now immigration is happening from India into the UK at a much larger scale. So Immigration from the EU was exchanged by immigration from non-European countries. How is this better, I am not sure.

[ramses]

Why don't go after those British politicians responsible for such a catastrophe. Why don't you take responsibility for the likes of Farage and his foolish claims?

[lindadejonge]

I warned my English friends about voting to leave.
And the mahority voted to leave because of migration (I too am an emigrant from the EU), yet 5 years down the line migration figures (especially illegal migration) is out of hand!
Prices have risen, farmers don't have enough workders to reap the crops, low paid jobs are going unfulfilled....the UK youth don't work.

[frcluc]

Join EU with the following conditions:
1. Will adopt the Euro as currency
2. Will join the Schengen area
3. Will place the EU flag alongside the UK's
4. Will install the EU ID card system
5. Will show road/transport network and speed using the metric system
6. Will forget about a unique extraordinary exception of rebates
7. Will apply EU regulations to its Crown dependencies (Isle of Man, Jersey, Guernsey), Gibraltar, plus the OST in Cyprus (Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia)
8. Will join not as UK, but as England, Scotland, and Wales. (The EU will adopt Sc. Gaelic and Welsh as official languages). N.I. can decide whether they want to be part of one of those three countries or part of Ireland
9. The EU/EEA will universally use and apply British English spelling, pronunciation, and wording over American English (e.g., aluminium instead of alluminum, tomāto instead of tomäto, holiday instead of vacation) and the use of the Oxford comma in grammar

[seandonahue]

Only 57%?! Where are the 43% having the Anniversary Party?

[kevinhemmings]

If the people in the UK regret voting for leave. Why is the reform party topping all the polls.

[feranicignis]

General economics show that the bigger a trading block (market) the better trade deals they can get. One way for smaller groups to still thrive is to have more niche products or have a consistent product that meets other countries requirements without having to have variations like labelling. The service sector is currently keeping the UK going, but there are no other UK products with similar demand. The UK still does ok based on their past reputation, but going forward if the nation is to thrive productivity needs to increase or salaries drop significantly. The former is unlikely and the later is not wanted so i expect the UK will continue to meander along.

[kazomazo]

What a time to be a live! The Canadian is thinking about joining the EU. If the UK want to swim alone.. good luck for them!!

[greyy]

as an american I used to laugh at the british for that catastrophe.
I'm no longer laughing.

[infoferitri]

The divisive arguments would mostly be supporters of Brexit claiming it was not implemented correctly, as if there could be an alternate universe where cutting ties with your neighbors after a bad hungover would be the clever thing to do.