Brexit facts for kids
Brexit is a word made from "British exit." It describes when the United Kingdom (UK) left the European Union (EU). The EU is a group of countries that work together.
The UK held a special vote, called a referendum, on 23 June 2016. People voted to leave the EU. Brexit officially happened on 31 January 2020. The UK is the only country to have ever left the EU.
The UK had been a member of the EU, or its earlier versions, since 1 January 1973. After Brexit, EU laws and the EU's main court no longer have power over British laws. However, some EU laws were kept as UK laws. The UK can now change or remove these laws.
Over the years, some groups in the UK did not like parts of the EU. They were called "Eurosceptics." In 1975, the UK held another vote on staying in the EU. Most people (67.2%) voted to stay. But over time, more people wanted the UK to have more control.
By the 2010s, a political party called UK Independence Party (UKIP) became very popular. This, and pressure from some politicians, made Prime Minister David Cameron promise a new vote on EU membership. His party, the Conservatives, won the 2015 election. So, the promised vote happened on 23 June 2016.
Many important people, like David Cameron and future Prime Ministers Theresa May and Liz Truss, wanted to stay in the EU. Others, like future Prime Ministers Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak, wanted to leave. The country voted to leave the EU, with 51.9% of the votes. Most areas in England and Wales voted to leave, but Scotland and Northern Ireland voted to stay.
After the vote, David Cameron resigned. Theresa May became the new Prime Minister. For four years, the UK talked with the EU about how to leave and what their future relationship would be like. These talks were difficult and caused many disagreements in the UK.
The UK finally left the EU on 31 January 2020. After leaving, there was an eleven-month transition period. During this time, the UK still followed many EU rules to keep trade smooth. A new trade deal was agreed on 30 December 2020. This deal set out how the UK and EU would work together after Brexit.
Contents
How Brexit Happened: A Timeline
The Vote and What Came Next
After the vote on 23 June 2016, Prime Minister David Cameron resigned. On 29 March 2017, the new UK government, led by Theresa May, officially told the EU it wanted to leave. This started the process of leaving.
The UK was supposed to leave on 29 March 2019. But there were many disagreements in the British parliament. This caused delays. The UK's leaving date was pushed back three times.
Solving the Deadlock
The disagreements were finally solved after another election in December 2019. The Conservatives, led by Boris Johnson, won many seats. They promised to leave the EU with a new deal.
After this election, the British parliament approved the leaving deal. The UK left the EU on 31 January 2020. This started a transition period until 31 December 2020. During this time, the UK and EU talked about their future relationship. The UK still followed EU laws and was part of the EU's trading areas. But it was no longer part of the EU's political groups.
Early Days: Joining the EU
The UK joined the European Communities (EC) in 1973. The EC was the start of what is now the EU. In 1975, the UK held its first national vote on whether to stay in the EC. Most people voted to stay.
In the 1970s and 1980s, the Labour Party often wanted to leave the EC. The Conservatives generally wanted to stay. But this changed over time.
Growing Doubts: Euroscepticism
Some people in the UK always had doubts about the EU. This is called "Euroscepticism." Margaret Thatcher, a Conservative Prime Minister, warned against a "European super-state" in 1988. This idea influenced many who later supported Brexit.
A new political party, the UK Independence Party (UKIP), was formed in 1993. It strongly believed the UK should leave the EU. UKIP became very popular, especially by focusing on immigration. This put pressure on the main political parties.
The 2016 Referendum: The Big Decision
Prime Minister David Cameron promised a vote on EU membership if his party won the 2015 election. They did win. He then tried to change some of the UK's rules with the EU. But the changes were not enough for everyone.
The question on the ballot was: "Should the United Kingdom remain a member of the European Union or leave the European Union?"
Who Voted Which Way?
The vote was very close. 51.89% voted to leave, and 48.11% voted to stay.
Studies showed that people who voted to leave often had lower incomes and fewer qualifications. They also tended to live in areas with many Eastern European workers. Older people were more likely to vote Leave, while younger people were more likely to vote Remain.
People who voted Leave often believed it would lead to a better immigration system and more control over UK laws. People who voted Remain worried about the economy, jobs, and prices if the UK left.
The Leaving Process: Article 50
Starting the Withdrawal
Leaving the EU is set out in Article 50 of the Treaty on European Union. This rule says that any country can leave the EU. It must tell the European Council it wants to leave. This starts a two-year period to agree on how to leave. If no deal is made, the country leaves anyway.
After the 2016 vote, Prime Minister Theresa May decided to wait until 2017 to start the process. This was to prepare for the talks. On 29 March 2017, she officially triggered Article 50. This meant the UK was set to leave on 29 March 2019.
The 2017 Election and Talks Begin
In April 2017, Theresa May called an early election. She hoped to get more support for her Brexit plans. But her party lost seats and its majority in parliament. This made the Brexit talks even harder.
Talks between the UK and EU began in June 2017. They focused on three main things:
- The rights of UK citizens in the EU and EU citizens in the UK.
- How much money the UK would pay to the EU when leaving.
- The border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.
By December 2017, they agreed on some points. There would be no hard border in Ireland. Citizens' rights would be protected. The UK would pay about £35-39 billion.
May's Deal and Its Rejection
In November 2018, the UK and EU agreed on a draft leaving deal. But many politicians in the UK did not like it. They especially disliked the "Irish backstop." This was a plan to avoid a hard border in Ireland. Many felt it would keep the UK too tied to EU rules.
On 15 January 2019, the UK parliament voted against the deal. It was a huge defeat for the government. The deal was rejected two more times.
Delays and a New Leader
Because the deal was not approved, the UK had to ask the EU to delay Brexit. The leaving date was pushed back to 31 October 2019.
Theresa May resigned in July 2019. Boris Johnson became the new Prime Minister. He promised to leave the EU by the new deadline, with or without a deal. On 17 October 2019, the UK and EU agreed on a new deal. This deal changed the arrangements for Northern Ireland.
The 2019 Election and Final Departure
Boris Johnson called another early election in December 2019. His party won a large majority. This meant his Brexit deal could finally pass.
The UK parliament approved the deal. The EU also approved it. On 31 January 2020, at 11 p.m. GMT, the United Kingdom officially left the European Union. It had been a member for 47 years.
Transition Period and Trade Deal
After leaving, the UK entered a transition period until the end of 2020. During this time, trade and travel stayed mostly the same.
The UK and EU continued to talk about a permanent trade deal. On 24 December 2020, they announced a deal had been reached. This deal set out how goods, services, and other things would move between the UK and EU.
What Changed After Brexit?
Economic Effects
Many experts believed Brexit would make the UK's economy smaller in the long run. Studies showed that the uncertainty around Brexit already slowed down the UK's economy, investment, and trade.
Some British companies moved parts of their business to the EU. This was to avoid new rules and costs.
Local and Regional Effects
The border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland was a big concern. Before Brexit, you could not see the border. After Brexit, it became the only land border between the UK and the EU. Everyone wanted to avoid a "hard border" with checkpoints. This was important for peace in Northern Ireland.
A new plan, the Northern Ireland Protocol, was agreed. It means Northern Ireland still follows some EU rules for goods. This avoids a hard border on the island of Ireland. But it created a new "sea border" for goods moving from Great Britain to Northern Ireland.
Gibraltar, a British territory next to Spain, was also affected. Spain has a claim on Gibraltar. An agreement was made to manage the border between Gibraltar and Spain after Brexit.
Impact on the EU
Brexit meant the EU lost a large economy and many people. It also lost a big financial contributor. Two important EU offices, the European Medicines Agency and the European Banking Authority, moved from London to other EU cities.
Specific Areas of Change
- Farming and Fishing: The UK left the EU's farming and fishing rules. It can now make its own rules for these areas.
- Research and Education: Brexit created challenges for UK universities and researchers. It became harder to get EU funding and for EU students to study in the UK.
- Healthcare: Some worried about the impact on the National Health Service (NHS). The number of EU nurses joining the NHS dropped after the vote.
- Laws: UK courts are no longer bound by the EU's highest court. The UK parliament can now change or remove old EU laws that were kept.
- Immigration: The UK can now control who comes from EU countries. It plans to have a system that focuses on skilled workers. EU citizens already in the UK could apply to stay.
- Travel: The UK left the EU's single market for air travel. New agreements were needed for flights. Ferries continue, but with new customs checks.
Some experts believe the economic problems from the COVID-19 pandemic made it harder to see the full effects of Brexit. Brexit also made a shortage of truck drivers worse in the UK. This caused problems with fuel and goods supplies.
While trade dipped right after Brexit, by 2022, trade between the UK and EU had grown back to higher levels than before.
Images for kids
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Margaret Thatcher
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Nigel Farage
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David Cameron
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