By Dylan Byrne | UK

The Brexit referendum voted upon on June 23, 2016, has sparked major backlash and support alike across the globe. It was a vote which decided whether or not the United Kingdom would remain a part of the European Union; the people of the UK have spoken, and they have displayed their desire to withdraw themselves from the EU. It is scheduled to split away from this confederation at precisely 11 pm BST on Friday, March 29, 2019, and the question must be asked: what has and will become of this decision? A recent BBC article reviews everything one who displays interest in this topic ought to know.

Negotiations are currently being made regarding three major issues which are as follows: the amount of money the UK owes the EU, what will happen to UK citizens living elsewhere in the EU and vice versa, and what will happen to the Northern Ireland border. Requests for talks about the future of Brexit have been made by the UK, regarding topics such as a two-year “transition period” but have been denied by the EU, which wishes to focus upon more pressing matters. Since the vote, major governmental changes have been made, the most prominent of which is the change in prime ministers from David Cameron to Theresa May. Cameron announced his resignation after losing the referendum, opening the doors for May – who was previously in opposition to Brexit but has since been a strong proponent for it stating that it is what the people want – to enter the office. Plans have since been made by the new prime minister to introduce a bill that will “end the primacy of EU law in UK.” This will make it so UK law reigns supreme over all law that the EU passes, but this bill is not without controversy. Opponents of the Conservative government have voiced their concern about May’s supposed attempts to bypass parliament and rewrite the law of the United Kingdom.

Predictions that the economy of the United Kingdom would suffer disastrous consequences proved to be false. The value of the British pound has decreased and inflation has increased, but a number of other things have improved since the vote in June of 2016. Among these positive changes include lower house prices, decreasing unemployment which reached a 42 year low by the end of 2016, and an economic growth of 1.8% in 2016. However, this doesn’t necessarily mean the economy will stay in such a condition post-Brexit when the two economies of the EU and the UK officially split.

There is undoubtedly some uncertainty about the future of the United Kingdom once March of 2019 passes, but whether the effects are positive or negative, this independence movement shall stand as an important part of British history.