On June 23rd, 2016, UK voters chose to leave the European Union by 52% to 48%. UK citizens in London, Northern Ireland and Scotland voted to stay with the EU, but outside these areas, voters were apparently convinced of the folly of continuing their membership in the alliance of 28 nations with a population of about 510 million people or about 7% of the world’s population. The joint venture had elevated the EU to the status of the world’s largest market for both export and import.
The proposition to leave (Brexit) or stay was placed in the hands of the UK voters to decide which direction and strategy would be best for their country comprised of 232 local authorities including England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and 15 other dependent areas. Although nations such as Canada, Australia and New Zealand belong to ‘The British Commonwealth of Nations’, they operate quite independently as ‘Federal Parliamentary Democracies.’
What would prompt millions of UK voters to drop their decisions in ballot boxes marked ‘out’ or ‘no?’ Was it because of the immigration problems of diluting their culture? Was it because the cost of welfare for refugees and immigrants skyrocketed to unsustainable heights? Was it the lack of training and skills by foreigners that would require billions of pounds (£1= $1.24) of training and education for workers, wives and children who needed new language and employment skills? In some areas of the country were there concentrations of children without communication knowledge and textbook learning ability?
Perhaps British academicians and researchers over time will study the many reasons that Brexit took place but suffice it to say that UK voters observed and perceived threats to their sovereign way of life that were troubling.
Let’s take a look at the politics of uniting in the manner that took place to form the EU. The 28 nations (now 27) of the EU comprise nations large and small representing about 510 million Europeans.
The largest in population is Germany with more than 82 million residents; the smallest is Malta with fewer than a half-million citizens. Cyprus, Greece and other nations in the south seem to have the greatest difficulty with governance in the area of budget and fiscal control.
Established in 1952, the European Union that began elections in 1979 for the first time has 751 representatives called Member (of) European Parliament (MEP’s). No nation has less than 6 members representing their interests and no country has more than 96; elections are held every five years.
There are 20 committees and staff concentrated in Brussels, Luxembourg and other major cities of Europe, speaking 24 languages. A staff of more than 41,000 people with varied skills is employed by the European Union. The annual budget exceeds €144 billion ($152 billion) annually.
The original concerns of the EU were three-fold: legislative, supervisory & budgetary. Apparently there was little thought given to the immigration of citizens from poor countries to developed countries; if so it was a gross failure of sound planning.
The Parliament of The United Kingdom and Northern Ireland is governed by 805 Lords Temporal & Spiritual (The House of Lords) and 650 Members of Parliament (MP’s). In addition, a UK Statistics Office reported that there are more than 6 million people employed in Central and Local government and Health Service.
The point of the data and information included in the preceding paragraphs is that one of the most consequential reasons for leaving Brexit may have been the financial burdens imposed by membership in the EU. Bureaucracy is expensive and inefficient. When tax burdens to pay millions of government workers in the UK are overlaid with the cost of the EU, citizens might realize that they are getting little for each dollar of support.
Bureaucratic government growth tends to service government rather than the people; roughly comparable to the indefatigable squirrel running on the wheel in the squirrel cage simply to keep it perpetually spinning.
The EU will continue to be a dynamic force in world commerce until the bureaucracy becomes so costly and inefficient that member states lose confidence. And when member nations realize they have surrendered their sovereignty at high cost with meager benefits they might realize that vast bureaucracies can’t rejuvenate themselves.
Dick Baynton
