Brexit

Brexit was the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union (EU) in January 2020 following the referendum result of leave in June 2016. Although in the short term it has reduced the material conditions of the British working class, in the long term it is a progressive change having weakened global imperialism and hastened the reunification of Ireland. The remain campaign was led by at the time Conservative Party leader David Cameron and Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn, whilst the leave campaign was led by reactionary forces on the grounds of bigotry in relation to immigration and racism. The bourgeoisie was not united on the issue of Brexit and squabbled among themselves over whether they would gain more from conducting imperialism from within the EU or outside of it.

Background

In 1951 the six founding nations of the EU came together to form the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC), a predecessor organisation to the EU, with Britain at first distancing itself from the project with its traditional Euroscepticism. The founders deemed the ECSC a success and expanded the project in 1957 to create the European Economic Community (EEC) and the European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom) which would later to be grouped together as the European Communities (EC).

The UK attempted to join the EC in 1963 and 1967, but these applications were vetoed by the French President, Charles de Gaulle, who feared losing influence in the organisation to Britain and its puppet master the US. In 1970, the UK successfully applied for EC membership. Membership of the then EEC was discussed in the House of Commons on October 1971 leading to a decisive vote in favour of membership by 356 to 244. On 1 January 1973 the UK joined Denmark and Ireland in becoming the first none founding members of the organisation, without a referendum.

Referendum of 2016

Brexit vote results by UK council. Leave = Blue Remain = Yellow

On 23 June 2016 the referendum on whether Britain would remain in the EU was held and returned a result of leave by 51.9% to 48.1%. 62% of the residents of Scotland voted remain along with 55.8% of Occupied Ireland, 59.9% of London and 96% of Gibraltar but the rest of the major regions of England as well as Wales voted to leave.