In the aftermath of the European Union Referendum, many people are wondering what the next steps are for the United Kingdom. However it is vital that whatever our views, we must respect the will of the people and implement it.
The only sure action is to invoke Article 50 of the Treaty of Lisbon which triggers the mechanisms for departure, but a vote to leave by a Member State is unprecedented, therefore the rules for exit are brief and the strategy for such a move is unstipulated. What has now become evident, is that the post-Brexit strategy, which should be clear, is in fact most unclear.
This is a time of great political, economic and social uncertainty. As it stands we do not know who will be leading the country into exit talks or what the country expects from these negotiations. With the Prime Minister’s announcement that he would step down, it will be up to the new Prime Minister to negotiate Britain’s exit.
This referendum has shown that the United Kingdom is a nation divided. Almost literally 50-50. Divided in its membership with Scotland and Northern Ireland voting to remain whilst England and Wales backed leave. Divided between generations, with the youth feeling robbed at a decision overwhelmingly supported by older generations and divided along class lines with many working class communities voting to leave. There is a North-South and a rural-urban divide. Division is also rife within the two main political parties.
A vile showing of racism and xenophobia that has seemingly been bubbling under the surface in many communities around the country has also been revealed. By fighting a referendum on the premise of stemming migration, I believe the responsibility for this lies with the Leave campaign.
The future Prime Minister will be responsible for tackling the issue of EU citizens remaining in the UK and British citizens living abroad. There are currently 1.2 million British citizens living in the European Union and 3 million European citizens living in the United Kingdom. Their status will not be made clear until after the negotiations have been completed. I cannot begin to imagine how worrying a time this must be.
The nation’s relationship with Europe now hangs in the balance. Planning beyond October 2018 is near impossible. As a nation we are taking a huge step into the unknown.
It is only through decisive leadership, a steady nerve and shrewd diplomacy that we will emerge from this unscathed. I just hope we can find a leader that is up to challenge. In a real sense it's "back to the people."
