Recently, 27% of significant fuel stations in the UK showed a state of “No Fuel,” drawing global attention. Despite the British government’s declaration that it would replenish its workforce by sending troops, the British oil crisis showed no sign of resolution. This was not the only problem. This is because there was a shortage of human resources in the UK as a whole. Farms have had rotten crops because of an insufficient number of people to harvest, hotels are closing rooms because there are no cleaners, and in the meat industry, there is a shortage of butchers, extending the lives of livestock. This is not a story of a developing country but is happening in one developed country, the UK.
If so, it is necessary to find out why the UK is facing these difficulties. As of September 2021, the UK had an average of 30,000 coronavirus cases. There are situations in which self-quarantine is increasing due to the long-term pandemic, but in fact, the problem of accelerating the human resources shortage is greatly affected by Brexit.
As Brexit became a reality, the UK’s biggest problem is that people and goods from neighboring countries are restricted from moving across borders (Martin Williams, 2018). This is a significant problem for the UK because the pre-Brexit UK economic system was highly dependent on foreign workers (foreign workers from EU member states).
Then the question arises here. Could it be that the British did not foresee what would happen after Brexit? Although it is not easy to answer, some facts can be inferred from past events. The EU has had conflicts with the UK government over pre-Brexit use of the euro, member states’ increasing political intervention, strengthening member countries’ budget management oversight, introducing a financial transaction tax, and criminal and judicial jurisdiction issues.
Judging by the British national sentiment and their choices so far, they were not politically linked with the EU. Instead, they have refused to be tied to the eurozone after being entered. A brief example of this is the EU monetary policy. EU member states have a unified currency in the euro, but the UK uses the pound sterling. This means that the UK is the only member of the European Union that can regulate its monetary policy at the government’s will. However, paradoxically, the UK was also the country that benefited the most from trading in euro derivatives. This is because the UK was the European financial center. In other words, the UK focused on a leading role rather than integrating with the EU.
David Cameron, who served as Britain’s 75th Prime Minister and Conservative Party, knew this better than anyone. He was also a representative figure against Brexit. However, at the time, facing the collapse of the conservative camp and the problem of declining approval ratings, Cameron gambled for the country’s luck. In the 2013 general election, he was running for office with the promise of a Brexit referendum (Kuenssberg, L., 2020). Of course, this promise made Cameron a success in his tenure. However, contrary to his expectations, the people’s vote resulted in a 51.9% vote to leave the EU. After that, Cameron resigned as if running away, and the damage caused by Brexit remained the burden of the people and shook the present-day UK.
Coming back to the main topic, the answer to the question “Is Brexit having a positive impact on the UK in 2021?” can be vaguely guessed by looking at the UK oil shortage. The UK, which relied heavily on EU workers, is suffering from a labor shortage. In addition, GDP recorded -9.7% growth in 2020, and the future predicted by experts is also not bright.
As a closing word, an English proverb says, “Every cloud has a silver lining.” This saying means that good things follow after bad things. In Korean, 苦盡甘來 means “sweetness comes after bitterness,” and it has the same meaning as happiness comes after suffering. They pass through the end of a long tunnel-like these words used in various cultures, but if Britain maintains its original color and proceeds, expect their shining day will come.
Reference list
Martin Williams. Brexit explained : what happens when the UK leaves the EU (2018). online] YouTube. Available at: https://youtu.be/7eoDwvl0QGk.
Dallago, B. (2016). The future of European integration and Brexit: Is Brexit only Brexit? Acta Oeconomica, 66(s1), pp.111–136.
DW, N. (2021). Boris’s Brexit boomerang: Is the UK spiraling into chaos? | To the point. [online] www.youtube.com. Available at: https://youtu.be/0VaUpibjq4I [Accessed 17 Nov. 2021].
Kuenssberg, L. (2020). BBC Two – The Brexit Storm, Continuing Laura Kuenssberg’s Inside Story. [online] BBC
NEWSHOUR, P. (2021). How Brexit played a role in Britain’s gas shortages. [online] www.youtube.com. Available at: https://youtu.be/OSdrJQ6osZE [Accessed 17 Nov. 2021].
