British failed these five great promises of Brexit. Now they talk about Bretreta
We remind you of one of the most read materials in 2024.
It was supposed to be a great economic boom. The United Kingdom was to be freeed on the oxen and sail in a cruise towards unrestricted economic freedom. Is it in Great Britain now as the supporters of Brexit wanted? Is there more free trade and less bureaucracy? Did taxes decrease and London normalized the influx of migrants? Nothing could be more wrong.
“British will never be slaves”
Experts analyzed statistics and came to the conclusion that a lot has changed, but not necessarily for the better. When leaving the EU, the British celebrated, but today they have no reason. The word “bregret” has permanently entered their dictionary.
On the night of January 31 to February 1, 2020, Great Britain became the first country in the history of the EU to leave the Union. 51.89 percent The British voted for leaving the EU. Opponents of the Union chanted “Rule Britannia, Britannia Rule The Waves” – one of the most popular patriotic songs on the British Isles.
Brexitians sang the second line of the chorus even louder: “The British will never be slaves.”
Supporters of Brexit hoped that he would bring an economic boom. According to the economist and the expert on the international economic policy of Klaus-Jurgen Gern from the Institute of World Economy in Kiel (IFW), supporters of Brexit “hoped for economic recovery thanks to switching to free trade and better control of the influx of low-qualified migrants”.
The truth is that the government in London is more independent, but is not successful. The economic boom did not materialize, which Brexit architects talked about. This is how the situation in Great Britain has changed as a result of leaving the European Union.
Promise No. 1. The great return of free trade
Many Brexit supporters hoped that leaving the EU would restore the times when free trade was a recipe of the British Isles to economic success. At first glance, Brexit supporters keep their promise. Since leaving the EU, 71 free trade contracts have entered into force.
However, it should be noted that 68 of 71 of the agreements concluded were aimed at extending (in one form) of contracts concluded by the British before leaving the Uniform EU market.
New contracts were concluded only with three countries.
Direction: Pacific
Japan is the first of the signatories' countries. Although the main part of the agreement is based on the previous agreement between the EU and Japan, London and Tokyo have slightly expanded their cooperation, including in the digital sectors and fintech.
The second state is New Zealand, which in May 2023 released 100 percent from import duties. British exports. London, in turn, gave up imposing a goal at 97 percent. New Zealand export products.
Australia is the third country. From May 2023, 98 percent British exports to Australia is exempt from import duties, as well as 99 percent. Australian export products.
The Declaration of Great Britain's joining into the comprehensive and progressive transforme partnership (CPTPP) met with great interest of the media. This agreement was established by one of the largest regions of free trade in the world. It covers about 500 million people and 12 percent global gross domestic product (GDP).
It consists of: Australia, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, Vietnam and Brunei. However, Great Britain will join CPTOPP only in 2024.
United States withdrew from the agreement in 2017 – under the rule of the then President Donald Trump. As a result, CPTPP has significantly lost its importance.
Promise No. 2. Great Britain was to become “Singapore over the Thames”
Proponents of Brexit not only promised Great Britain open to trade, but also more competitive: with lower taxes and a lack of EU fees. The United Kingdom was to be, as one of the popular slogans, “Singapore over the Thames”.
According to Steven Davies, education director at the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) Institute (IEA), based in London, but this did not happen. For him, “Singapore over the Thames” has always been just a unreal dream of liberal economists.
A reduction in taxes and customs duties are important steps that could help the British economy, but they were not taken as a result of Brexit. This is due to, among others Due to the fact that most voters who voted for Brexit did not care about economic reasons. Only a maximum of 20 percent Voters supported the liberal vision of Brexit – until today. Most voted for the EU's exit for ideological reasons.
British governments, whether conservative or social democratic, have always been in favor of increasing the role of the state in the economy in recent years.
– It was not the EU that forced the British to continue to increase public expenditure. Public debt is at a record level – said Davies in an interview with “The Pioneer”.
It is therefore not a surprise, as Davies says, that the level of taxes and fees remained high also after Brexit.
The authors of the study Daniel Bunn and Alex Mengden write that Great Britain “raised corporate income tax for large companies from 19 % to 25 %.”
As a result, after Brexit, as the authors write, “Great Britain fell from 27 to the 30th place” in the ranking of tax competitiveness (the study was conducted in 38 countries).
Promise No. 3. “Recover control” and cut off from the Brussels bureaucracy
“Regaining control” was the popular slogan of the former prime minister and supporter of Brexit Boris Johnson. The purpose of Great Britain's exit from the Union was to firmly reject the Brussels bureaucracy. Many British hoped that Brexit would put an end to excessive regulations from Brussels – and would give British citizens more sovereignty.
Former prime minister of Great Britain Boris Johnson
-After Brexit, there was no comprehensive reduction of regulations-said the economist and expert on the international economic policy of Klaus-Jurgen Gern from the Institute of World Economy in Kiel (IFW).
Instead, according to the expert, in the last four years many EU regulations have simply been transferred to British law.
“British regulations are often even more stringent than EU standards,” said Gern.
This is how Steven Davies, Education Director at the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) Research Institute with headquarters in London, also sees it. In his opinion, in the UK, Brussels is blamed for all evil.
According to Davies, “the biggest problem for trade and economic cooperation is no longer customs, but incompatible regulations.” Brexit has again increased this form of uncertainty and bureaucracy, because Great Britain must now harmonize two different regulatory frames.
The latest example? The British government has introduced far -reaching additional regulations regarding the import of food from the EU. Manufacturers and exporters of many plant and animal products in the EU must now attach products of the origin of products.
Physical inspections on the borders will also be carried out from the end of April 2024. In this way, London wants to ensure that imports are not a health risk.
Promise No. 4. Saving the System of the National Health Service
Some institutions, phenomena and things in Great Britain enjoy an almost mystical reputation, resistant to party divisions. They are the royal family, a national team in football and of course tea. There is also the National Health Service (NHS).
Great Britain was one of the first countries in the world that provided a system that guarantees health care for all its citizens. Established in 1948, the system was not financed from individual contributions, but mainly from taxpayers' money.
Brexitians used the NHS myth to argue against the EU. They promised that £ 350 million (approx. PLN 1 billion 772 million, counting at the current exchange rate) would be directed to NHS per week instead of the EU. The healthcare system in the British Isles was already criticized for lack of financing and staff. NHS had to be optimized for the needs of an aging society.
In October 2023, Michael Gove, minister in the government of Prime Minister Rishi Suunak and one of the most important conservatives behind the Brexit campaign, said: “We spend over 350 million pounds on our NHS … Complex promise, promise fulfilled.”
Even Nigel Farage, one of the face of the EU campaign, admits to mistake. In one of the interviews he stated that his promise regarding the transfer of 350 million pounds on NHS was a mistake. “
Today, NHS is in a worse situation than probably ever in its history before. The data is shocking.
“As a result of Brexit, nothing has improved”
Almost half of all patients on a sharp duty must wait more than four hours for treatment.
Strike of supporters of raising wages in NHS, September 2023.
The average waiting time for emergency treatment, such as stroke or heart attack, has now increased to over 70 minutes. At the end of 2022, 7.2 million patients waited for treatment, including Cancer or operations such as the replacement of the hip or knee joint.
Nursing staff is currently so often striking that officials must warn society to avoid “high -risk actions”, as a result of which you can suffer injury.
Promise No. 5. Migrants were to be less and were to have a university degree
The main promise made by Brexit supporters was a more stringent border regime. Exit from the EU was to protect Great Britain from the influx of migrants from Europe. Brexit architects also promised that those who already receive the right to enter the British Isles would have a higher level of professional qualifications.
In the year of the Brexit referendum, the number of migrants from the EU reached the highest level of 250 thousand. Currently (in 2025) it is record -breaking.
Migration restrictions for low -qualified employees have their price. Highly qualified immigrants do not want to be carers, waiters or work in construction. It is such employees that the British economy needs.
Despite the high number of migrants, the European reform center, the Think Tank dealing with the development of politicians for the European Union, stated that the provisions introduced after Brexit led in Great Britain to a shortage of 330 thousand. employees. Particularly affected by this problem are: healthcare system, gastronomy and construction.
Even Tim Martin, the legendary owner of the Wetherspoons cheap pubs network and the colorful advocate of Brexit, regularly speaks critically and calls for “an intelligent, more liberal migration system”. Martin is afraid that he will run out of employees.
Economist Klaus-Jurgen Gern from the Institute of World Economy in Kiel stated that “the loss of UK's economic growth since 2016 has been estimated at 3 to 6 percent. A significant part of this inheritance occurred before the actual exit from the EU.”
Poor economic growth of Great Britain is also the result of (unfulfilled) promises of Brexit.
