WEEKS AFTER the historic vote by the British people to terminate their nation’s involvement in the regional integration apparatus known widely as the European Union (EU), the debates rage on as to why the actual vote turned out the way it did and what implications does Brexit have not only for the United Kingdom (UK) but also for Europe, the Caribbean, other parts of the world and the global economy as a whole.
While it is not too difficult to figure out the precise reason or reasons for the “leave” vote, it is clearly mostly speculation on the question of how the outcome is likely to impact the UK and other countries in the international arena.
Part of the reasoning here is the absence of historical evidence: no country or nation has ever removed itself from any known regional integration arrangement.
Therefore, the true implications of Brexit for the global economy cannot be determined from precedence as is often the case in legal circles and that fact makes it a difficult task to forecast what is likely to happen in the years ahead.
In following the debates thus far, the need to regain control of the nation’s sovereignty, the adverse effects on rural communities of the movement of people from other European countries into the UK, the huge cost associated with the UK’s membership in the EU and the belief that the British economy is now sufficiently competitive to go it alone, are some of the key explanations for the outcome of the referendum.
Whatever your perspective, it is absolutely clear that the voice of the British people has been raised and has taken many by surprise.
As Professor Sir Hilary Beckles puts it: “I knew they wanted to leave but I didn’t believe they had the courage to do so.”
You were wrong, sir. But your point of view speaks directly to what is so crucial about the outcome of the referendum: that when pushed with their backs literally against the wall, people will rise up and effect change, irrespective of the certainty or uncertainty of their action!
To me, one of the major issues which arise from Brexit is the need for much greater clarity and more widespread discussions of key policy initiatives advanced by governments. Governments can no longer behave as if they are functioning in a vacuum. Irrespective of the policy, people will be affected and exactly how and to what extent they will be impacted must be a critical component of serious scrutiny before a final decision is made!
You see, we, the people, now have an important opportunity to say quite clearly to our governments that we must have a role to play in determining the future direction of our countries.
We will no longer accept any high-handed attempt to set the path to our socioeconomic development without our inputs. And if our governments violate that stance, they will pay a huge price just as the British prime minister did.
No doubt, the future of our countries cannot be gambled with. If governments are supposed to be acting on behalf of the people, major policies ought to be influenced by the populace in a real sense. Period!
Going forward, therefore, however we as a people wish to view this historic phenomenon, one thing ought to be crystal clear to the authorities in the UK and for that matter to all governments the world over: Brexit should be seen as a genuine wake-up call to all and sundry, economically and politically.
Email: bfrancis@uwi.edu.bb