| You're wrong on both counts. Firstly, many voters believed they were voting for more money for the NHS and to give Cameron a poke in the eye. There was actually no such thing as a "Brexit vote" - it was a popularity poll, not a vote on any specific policy. And policy-minded people were reassured that we wouldn't be leaving the single market - which was a complete lie, of course. Secondly, it won't be tough for Europe, either financially or politically. Politically there was a vague and ridiculous notion that other EU nations would take the UK's lead and leave too. That's not just not happening, the "reverse domino effect" means that federalisation is likely to accelerate now. Financially, the UK is something like 9% of the rest of the EU's export market. Even if all of that trade disappeared overnight a good part of it will be replaced by businesses leaving the UK for the mainland. Europe is 43% of the UK's export market, and the UK is a net importer. So it really can't afford to lose that trade. Most of its exports are services which will - again - be moving to the mainland. The bottom line is that Brexit will bankrupt the UK. Unless someone discovers an asteroid made of solid gold and stolen bitcoins under London, there is no other possible outcome. I mean that literally. There is no possible way the UK - or England as we should start calling it - can turn into some kind of dynamo of international trade. We don't make enough, we don't invent enough, and none of the things we're actually good at - law, management, fintech, technology, pharma, art and culture - are being helped by Brexit in any way. So the absolute best that will happen is a massive drop in living standards for most of the population. The worst is Zimbabwe-style hyper-inflation and dictatorship. Either way, it's a suicide note. |