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What The Hell Has Been Going On Since Brexit?

What The Hell Has Been Going On Since Brexit?

A lot has happened.

James Dawson

James Dawson

"Brexit means Brexit means Brexit means Brexit means Brexit" - every cabinet minister since 24 June.

It's been more than four months since the UK voted by a margin of 52 percent to 48 percent for the country to withdraw from the European Union, but for all the pomp of Brexiters and the moaning of Remainers, we're barely any closer to beginning our withdrawal than we were the day the result was announced.

On Thursday a court ruled that Parliament must vote on whether or not the UK can start the process of leaving the EU, in addition to the referendum vote. Where previously it had been announced that the government would activate Article 50 before the end of March 2017, this is likely to delay the process further - meaning one of the best questions is whether any of us will live to see Brexit?

Credit: PA

The ruling could theoretically mean no Brexit at all if Parliament votes it down, and Lib Dem leader Tim Farron even reckons we could hold a second referendum on the issue. Although, to be fair, his party has eight MPs, so who really gives a fuck about his opinion?

It is more likely that MPs will back Brexit but debate and potentially alter the terms of withdrawal, since it is implied that in choosing to hold a referendum the government is handing Parliamentary sovereignty on an issue over to the electorate as a whole. It would be extremely controversial, not to mention undemocratic, to go against the will of the British people.

Anybody who's been following the news will know that, really, Thursday's news is just a drop in the ocean for all the things that have been going on since the referendum. So, if you haven't been following it, here are some of the main issues.

THE POUND GOT FUCKED

The biggest change that you might have noticed if you've been abroad since the referendum is that you were getting less for the pound than you might have in the past.

Since the referendum, the pound has fallen about 18 percent against the dollar to levels not seen since 1985. And the BBC reported that it declined to a three-year low against the euro following May's announcement that the UK would begin formal Brexit negotiations by the end of March.

Lads enjoy a holiday in the EU. Credit: Facebook

The fall in the pound has mixed results. On one hand it's helpful for exporters, however, it also makes foreign holidays more expensive for British tourists and it has also increased import costs for manufacturers.

MARMITE

Recently there was a public row between Tesco and major food supplier Unilever, which wanted to hike the price of its products by 10 percent to make up for the fall in sterling. This led to goods such as Marmite, Hellman's mayonnaise and Dove soap being removed from the supermarket's website.

There have been a number of similar stories suggesting that a weaker pound would mean that prices in the UK rose generally. Apple, for example, recently bumped up the price on a number of its products due to the plummeting pound.

Love it or hate it, it looks like Brexit is happening. Credit: PA

However, looking at the specific Marmite issue, it seems to have less to do with Brexit and more to do with the fact business will use any excuse to rip us off, with Tesco pointing out that Marmite was made in the UK, with products from the UK, and that there was little need for the price increase besides the manufacturers greed.

On the other hand, some people are saying that prices are actually falling in Britain. The Telegraph has reported that not all prices are rising, and that in fact shop prices fell 1.7 percent in October against the same month of 2015. Personally, I haven't noticed much of a difference in price. That said, my shopping trips usually consist of buying whichever frozen pizza and four-pack of tinnies are on sale or reduction, so maybe I'm not the best judge.

A COUNTRY DIVIDED?

One of the most interesting things about being able to look back on the data around the election was that it showed huge splits in the mind-sets, ages and the social class of voters.

For instance, data from YouGov suggested that, in terms of tastes, more traditional and straightforward brands such HP Sauce, Bisto or PG Tips were favoured by Brexiters, whereas brands like Instagram, BBC iPlayer or Spotify were favoured by Remainers. This reflects the fact that younger people were more likely to vote to Remain than older people, but also that Brexiters were divided by class. Working-class people were more likely to have voted for Brexit and middle-class people were more likely to be Remainers.

Voting data by region. Credit: BBC

There was also a North / South divide in England, with London overwhelmingly wanting to Remain, whereas the north, as a whole, voted out. The biggest out voting areas were smaller towns who have suffered as a result of job losses, stagnating wages and cuts to benefits and public services. In this sense, I think it's worth reflecting on Brexit as a protest vote against issues beyond Britain's membership of the EU. Whether the current government actually wants to address issues that are primarily the result of globalisation and spending cuts is another matter...

RACIST INCIDENTS

One of the most disgusting fallouts of the election was that racists seemed to feel that the result in some way validated their opinions. The majority of the British electorate are not racist; it didn't.

According to Home Office figures, racist or religious abuse incidents recorded by police in England and Wales jumped 41 percent in the month after the UK voted to quit the EU. The sharp increase has declined since but has 'remained at a higher level than prior to the EU referendum'.

Although it's hard to tell the extent to which the spike was about a rise in reporting or a rise in actual incidents, it's clear that some felt that Brexit gave justification for their vile views.

As much as I'm loath to quote a Tory, May was completely right when she told Polish PM Beata Szydlo that 'hate crime has no place in UK society' in September.

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What do you think should happen next with Brexit? Have you changed you mind since? Let us know in the comments...

Featured image credit: PA

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Topics: brexit

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