Page 10 - aruba-today-20180623

A10 WORLD NEWS
Saturday 23 June 2018
UK split by Brexit divide 2 years after vote to leave EU

By JILL LAWLESS
Associated Press
LONDON (AP) — It’s been
two years since the shop-
pers and traders of Lon-
don’s Romford market
voted by a wide margin for
their country to leave the
European Union.
Enthusiasm for Brexit in this
working-class district on
the British capital’s eastern
edge hasn’t dimmed. But
with Britain still not out the
EU exit door and negotia-
tions slowed to a crawl, im-
patience is growing.
“I think most people are just
fed up,” said fishmonger
Dave Crosbie. “It seems
that you take two steps for-
ward and all of a sudden
you’ve got to take a step
back.”
A mere 20 miles (32 kilome-
ters) away in the center of
London — yet on the other
side of the Brexit divide —
Tahmid Chowdhury also
worries about the way
things are going. In this photo taken Wednesday, June 20, 2018, an anti-Brexit, pro-EU supporter holds a placard during a protest across the street
The law graduate was sur- from the Houses of Parliament in London.
prised and disappointed Associated Press
when Britain voted by a
margin of 52 to 48 percent 28 nations with half a billion Public opinion expert John “enemies of the people.” badly in the last two years.
to leave the EU on June 23, inhabitants. Curtice, a professor of Remainers accuse the oth- Leavers think the economy
2016. It was unwelcome Almost the only thing the politics at the University of er side of making promises has been absolutely fine.”
evidence that the pro-Eu- two groups share is pes- Strathclyde, said Britons are that will not be met and of There’s certainly little vot-
ropean views of his London simism about the state of “deeply critical, deeply du- stoking divisions by painting er’s remorse at Romford’s
friends and acquaintances Brexit. Asked by pollsters bious, about what Brexit is immigrants as a problem. street market, where stalls
were not universally shared. how well Prime Minister The- going to bring.” And they say Brexit is al- sell meat, fish, household
“The problem with the ref- resa May’s Conservative- “That hasn’t persuaded, ready hurting the econo- goods, clothing and piles
erendum is it divided peo- led government is handling however, most people to my. After the referendum, of red-and-white flags for
ple — divided families, di- negotiations, most Britons change their minds,” he the value of the pound England fans to wave dur-
vided communities — just reply: “badly.” said Friday. “This coun- plunged. ing the soccer World Cup.
because of the hostile na- With just nine months to try remains split down the Britain’s economic growth London — the most diverse
ture of how the arguments go until the U.K. is due to middle on Brexit in exactly is now the slowest among place in Britain and hub of
were made,” he said. leave on March 29, 2019, the same way as it was two major industrial economies. its huge financial sector —
The divisions opened up Britain and the EU have yet years ago.” Manufacturers and export- voted 60-40 in favor of stay-
by the referendum have to agree the terms of their Leavers and remainers ers wonder whether they ing in the EU. But in Haver-
not healed but hardened. divorce. There has been no are at odds over who is will face tariffs or other bar- ing, the London borough
Once, many Britons would deal on future trade and to blame for the Brexit riers to trade after Brexit. that contains Romford, 70
have defined themselves economic relations, and impasse. Those on the Aviation giant Airbus percent opted to leave.
as right-wing or left-wing, no firm solution to the prob- “leave” side point to Par- threatened Friday to leave “I’m for Brexit. We all are
Conservative or Labour. lem posed by the Ireland- liament, where members Britain — where it employs down here,” said 80-year-
Brexit has created two new Northern Ireland border. of the House of Commons about 14,000 people — if old Bill Pearson, selling
and mutually uncompre- After Brexit, the currently and House of Lords have the country exits the EU leather belts and bags at
hending camps in Britain: invisible frontier will be the attempted to wrest control without an agreement on his son’s stall.
leavers and remainers. only land border between of the Brexit process from future trading relations. Like many here, he once
Leavers — concentrated an EU nation and the U.K. the government in order to But economic arguments worked in the auto indus-
in small towns and post- Britain and the EU say they soften the terms of depar- have done little to sway try, and has seen the area
industrial cities across Eng- want to finalize a deal by ture. opinion on Brexit, said shed industrial jobs, even as
land — are eager to cut October, so that national Brexit-supporting news- Anand Menon of the U.K. in its largely white population
Brussels red tape, reassert parliaments across the papers depict Parliament a Changing Europe think- has been joined by new
British sovereignty and take bloc can approve it by as a nest of traitorous “re- tank. residents from around the
control of immigration. Re- March. But EU officials are mainiacs” determined to “Your perception of the world.
mainers, who most often impatient with Britain’s lack overturn the popular will. economy is dominated “It’s about time these (law-
live in big cities and uni- of detailed proposals, and The Sun accused pro-EU by whether you think we makers) of all parties, said,
versity towns, would rather few people believe there lawmakers of a “great be- should leave the European “Right, we’re going into
stay in an alliance that has will be much progress when trayal,” and the Daily Mail Union or not,” he said. “Re- Brexit — let’s work together
eased the flow of goods, leaders meet at an EU sum- branded judges who ruled mainers think the econo- and get a good deal out of
services and people across mit in Brussels next week. against the government my has been doing really it,’” Pearson said.q