That used to be pro-republican graffiti in Northern Ireland. Now, it's the cry of libertarians and blue-collar folks, as the British voted to leave the EU yesterday, 52%-48%; I just found out that the Leave campaign already used that pun months ago. The leaders of all the major parties were for staying, but the voters thought otherwise. Things skewed on class lines, as blue-collar foiks wanted to go while white-collar votes were pro-Remain.
There are reasons for that split. The mobility of labor within the EU meant that folks from less-developed EU areas, such as eastern Europe, could set up shop in Britain, creating added competition for lower-level jobs. Also, the benefit of a common market and visa-free travel inside the EU has more appeal to white-collar folks, who have the money to travel and have skills that are less impacted by the freedom of movement.
On the flip-side, Gibraltar and Northern Ireland voted to Remain, both likely wanting to keep the easy access to their neighbors in the EU. London liked Remain, since the movers and shakers would rather keep a status-quo that worked for them. Rural areas as well as England's Rust Belt thought otherwise.
The markets don't like the news, for we're in for a lot of uncertainty The divorce proceedings have to be done within a two-year window once the UK formally files to leave. We have issues ranging from immigration to tariffs and which of a multitude of EU rules the British want to keep on their own. Even soccer folks are worried, as EU-citizen players in England and other parts of the EU will need to get work permits when previously they were free to come; visa issues aren't much of an issue in US sports, so that's something that should be resolved without too much issue.
Is this bad for Britain? Conservatives were looking to get free of EU regulations and the drain of tax dollars flowing south from the UK. Also, a bias towards "an ever-closer union" means less and less power for London and more power centralized in Brussels. That should stimulate the economy in the long haul.
In the short-term, the chaos of dealing with tariffs and shifting populations adjusting to new trade flows and labor flows will create some adjustment costs which might well slow the British economy for the next year or two. However, the long-term benefits should outweigh those, both economically and culturally.
We shall see.
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