The effects of Brexit

So another blog about Brexit. 

MPs have voted for post Brexit trade deal (UK- EU free trade agreement) on Wednesday 30th December 2020 & then the next day, the Brexit transition period have ended on Thursday 31st December 2020 (New Year’s Eve). 

Friday 1st January 2021 (New Year’s Day). Full effects of Brexit have commenced. We know now what is Brexit exactly means. Outside the European Union. Not being in the economic structures (the Customs Union and the Single Market). No unlimited freedom of movement from the European Union countries (except Ireland). Red tape, customs duties, non trade barriers & more bureaucracy. Also no frictionless trade.

First week of Brexit (7 days now day 8). Border disruption at Calais - Dover situation (Michael Gove admittedly said they will be more “disruption”). Customs duties, red tape, paperwork & bureaucracy introduced. Some EU companies like Dutch bike company not shipping to the UK to avoid the need to pay VAT. Non trade barriers introduced for both the UK and the EU27 (that explains why UK customers like myself might have to reconsider buying something from Europe/EU before paying customs duties). 

Who would ever thought that things could possibly go well for the UK post Brexit without any disruption & anything bad? 

Well Brexit (in my opinion) will never be a good advantage for the UK. Never. 👎🇬🇧🇪🇺 I guess now someday (in the future), I might have to think about relocating from the UK to Europe. Given the effects of Brexit are only just the beginning as it had commenced the day after the Brexit transition period was finished last week Thursday (New Year’s Eve 2020) and there will be more to come.

Furthermore, I have a story that I want to share with you guys.

Couple of months ago, I received the parcel coming from Malta. It was a first time seeing the yellow sticker saying “Goods not fulfilling the conditions laid down in Articles 28 and 29 of the Treaty on the functioning of the European Union”.

I thought to myself “why the yellow sticker?”. I never recall buying any item from continental Europe online which has the yellow sticker before given the UK had left the EU on 31st January 2020 but it was still in the Customs Union and the Single Market and nobody had to pay customs fees from the EU27 prior to the end of the Brexit transition period. The Brexiteers have really messed up big time. They claimed that they are against EU red tape (& bureaucracy) & that Brexit will mean less red tape (which is not really the case). Brexit means more of red tape. Not less, knowingly it will not cut & get rid of bureaucracy. 

I think the penny will start to drop in years and decades to come. As the effects of Brexit (customs duties, bureaucracy and red tape) are now the norm which we will all get used to eventually in the future, any British citizen would start to say “enough is enough”! in order to push for close relationship between the UK and the European Union that might be the start of the journey to rejoin to reverse the effects of Brexit.

Should that happen in the future? Time will tell. Until then, we will start to ask whether Brexit was worth it & that have benefited the UK positively or negatively. My answer: it’s a no. Brexit is not worth it.