Brexit Mega Thread 16 – Who's Next?

[LouiseCollins28]

We are approaching the 6th anniversary of Brexit, or I suppose the 5th, if you count the period of transition as "in."

Since then, the world has endured Covid-19, seen war in Ukraine and many other things. Brexit has had reduced salience in the minds of many people recently.

When digesting the latest setbacks to befall the elite who govern our islands, a phrase I keep returning to, is “OK, so now do you get it?”

Brexit is undoubtedly the biggest “OK, so now do you get it?” moment directed at our leaders in my life. It’s surely the largest since 1979, since the Labour victory of 1945? or even since the advent of universal suffrage?

The U.K. local elections in 2026, and subsequent national ones, could see a big increase in support for the Green Party and Reform U.K. Two parties with more different attitudes to European integration could scarcely be found, so Brexit’s salience in the U.K. may rise again soon
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There are many electoral contests in progress or coming across Europe too (the Netherlands and France, for example) which will be worth paying attention to. Maybe the next questions we will face are less about "what next?" and more about "who's next?"

Relations between mainland Europe and the UK remain a worthy topic for discussion, whoever leads the nations of Europe, or leads the E.U. itself.

@Peregrina

Opps I forgot to mention. Andy Burnham supports Farage regards immigration. Link is:

https://novaramedia.com/2026/06/09/andy-burnham-pledges-to-expand-immigration-detention-centre-use/

Is that what contributed to his victory? Or was it to force Starmer into resigning?

Useful summary of Brexit impact studies from Goldman Sachs. That there has been a heavy cost should be as close to "case proven" as economics will ever get. https://www.gspublishing.com/content/research/en/reports/2026/06/24/487d9f10-f31c-4e8d-ac71-b248ce8a8aaf.html

Look at who wrote that stuff. I don't believe for one second that those authors are unbiased on the question of Brexit. Also, rejoiner whining about economic
damage is just valueless.

Strangely enough, if Britain retains an economic model akin to and close ties with our European neighbours it will perform similarly economically (i.e. it will only grow slowly). The whole point of this was to chart a new path, if the government choses not to do that, then why would anyone be surprised that the outcome is sclerotic growth.

I'm very far from wedded to economic growth as a positive outcome, I actually think it's profoundly damaging to our world and a source of social tension because it isn't well distributed.

Burnham supporting use of detention centres would be brilliant. I don't believe it for a second.

Do share any report that shows Brexit is a success.

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I'm very far from wedded to economic growth as a positive outcome, I actually think it's profoundly damaging to our world and a source of social tension because it isn't well distributed.

Yes, this view is popular. It's completely debunked though.
The shrinking arguments for degrowth

Well, obviously economic decline is a positive then...

Brexit was about immigration then, not economic growth?

If only they had put that on the side of a bus

Brexit was about all manner of issues. If we aligned ourselves more closely with America economic policy wise we'd be growing faster. Our government(s) have chosen not to do that, so they are accountable for their failure to secure economic growth.

I expect this/the next Labour administration will not pursue greater alignment with US and other high-growth economies, favouring closer ties with low growth EU member states.

Winning is politics is about making the right argument to the right person.

The so called right arguments were lies, the Tories/Reform had no plans.

Obama told the UK that we would be at the back of the queue

And Labour would absolutely be right not to pursue closer ties with the US, they have proven to be very unreliable under Trump.

I do assume we have a few supporting ICE on this thread..

Reform didn't exist and the Conservative government campaigned for Remain.

Where you are right is that the people who led leave should have had a plan for when they became the government, except apart from Boris and Gove they barely did become the Government. Steve Baker and co, I think, were nearest to having "a plan" and all the Brexiteers can quite rightly and sharply be critised for their lack of one.

Assume no longer. I support ICE (assuming you mean the immigration enforcement folks)

Assume no longer. I support ICE (assuming you mean the immigration enforcement folks)

You support actual murderers? Impressive.

It was clear from the concentration detention camp comment

Restore supporter?

No, and I'm not Reform UK supporter either.

But you think murdering people is OK?

I think that a government agent shooting at someone who's trying run them down with an SUV is an appropriate use of lethal force.

That is not what happened.

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This.

If you're trying to tell it otherwise, you are, frankly, lying. We know it, and, I'm pretty sure you know it as well.

The problem is why you're happy to lie. And why you want to push this lie.

Except that isn't what happened, and the video evidence is very clear on that.

@DuncinToffee

Obama told the UK that we would be at the back of the queue

He was promoted to say that. For proof, watch the documentary called:

Brexit. A very British civil war.

Both Cameron and Osborne said they wanted to destroy leave campaign that UK would get a deal with the US.

It happened. US tariffs applied to the UK are 10% compared to 15% for the EU.

Do share any report that shows Brexit is a success.

Key success factors are:

Lower immigration than; Germany, France, Spain and Italy.

Lower tariffs applied by the US.

Ability to lower tariffs on supermarket items to help with the cost of living.

Higher growth in G7

As per YouGov, 3 in 10 think they would be better off if the UK rejoined the EU. So, that means that 7 in 10 think they would not be better off doesn’t it?

Obama was promoted to say that?

What is Trump promoted to say?

Go back to getting ChatGPT to write your responses, at least they might make a modicum of sense.

Even if nobody would bother to read them...

@EEexpat apparently 'being better off' isn't a deciding criterion for Rejoin: https://www.ipsos.com/en-uk/10-years-brexit-vote-majority-britons-would-vote-apply-rejoin-eu

And of course as time marches on, people see what a failure Brexit has been, the hardcore Leave generation dies off - those numbers aren't going to go your way.

The video evidence absolutely plainly shows a car being driven towards an ICE agent. If you drive a car at somebody you are very obviously trying to kill or seriously injure them. That's it.

Usually I'll listen to good faith counter arguments from anywhere. On this one, there aren't any that contradict what I just posted or what the video evidence clearly shows.

Agree with a protest if you wish. That attempting to kill a law enforcement officer is always wrong is an absolute for me and one I'm not going to be swayed on that by any counter arguement.

The video evidence did not show that. Renee Good was driving away and got shot in the head.

And ofcourse Alex Pretti wasn't in a car when he got shot.