Due to current global events everything is changing. For the people of the United Kingdom, this means that there is a very real chance that the incredibly important Brexit deadline could unfortunately be delayed. An idea entertained in 2013, voted on in 2016 and finally realised earlier this year, the UK is still far from being really free from the influences of the European Union (EU).
There are many reasons why a significant portion of the UK populace has pushed for Brexit. However, one of their greatest concerns is security. Under the EU law, the UK cannot prevent a citizen of another member state from residing in the UK. This law poses certain security threats and causes difficulties with housing and service provision. With Brexit, the British government will be able to "regain control" of its borders, improve security and exercise greater sovereignty over its territory. However, even with Brexit, the fight for an independent UK continues, as arrangements under Part III 'Security' in the Political Declaration demand that the UK remains as a member state when it comes to defence and foreign policy.
Current circumstances have further fuelled the British government's desire for a fully independent UK. Recently, a Downing Street official shared that the British government would not ask for an extension – even if the negotiations were disrupted – and would firmly refuse any requests of the same kind coming from EU. The official added that this decision is due to the fact that an extension would just delay the moment of control and keep the country bound by EU legislation at a point where it needs legislative and economic flexibility to better respond to the current economic and political crises. The UK's chief negotiator, David Frost, shared the same sentiment and said that would be best for the UK to refuse any transition extension request because, in his words, it would only "prolong negotiations, create even more uncertainty, leave us liable to pay more to the EU in the future and keep us bound by evolving EU laws" especially at a time when there is a great need for the country to manage its own affairs.
On April 15, Frost and Michel Barnier, the European Commission's chief negotiator, agreed on a new timetable, which was put up in order to achieve real and tangible progress in the negotiations by June. The three full weeks of talks started on April 20 and will be followed by two more video meetings on May 11 and June 1. Despite experiencing a six-week interruption, Bloomberg reported that both negotiators were confident that the talks could continue from here on out and a satisfactory agreement will eventually be reached.
It's essential for every country to have complete control over their own resources so that they can provide better aid to their people, and that is exactly what Brexit offers. However, what's even more crucial is that the British people are wary of the Brexit-related news that they consume and don't believe everything they read. A Brexit post by Gala Bingo revealed that we Brexiteers are 4% more likely to believe that facts are true, making it all the more important that we verify what we see on the news today, especially if presented by sources that are still pro-remain. After all, fake news is so prevalent all over the country that the UK anti-fake news unit deals with up to ten false articles every day. During times of predominant uncertainty and when dealing with much of great importance such as Brexit, it is imperative that we do our part to help stop the spread of malicious and false articles that will not only endanger others but also cause baseless unrest.
