A narrow margin win by Brexit Supporters (1,219,501 votes) in a referendum held last week in UK left the world astonished and the British Isles in social and political mess. Great Britain once known as an empire on which sun never sets, failed to set its own house in order on question of Brexit (British withdrawal from the European Union).

People divided 

People’s vacillation over Brexit was evident during referendum and continues even after the ‘QUIT’ have won by majority vote. Referendum brought division among regions, cities and members of the same political outfit to the fore. Different communities viewed the Brexit from diverse angles.

If North Ireland, England and wales gave majority vote to Brexit, Scotland stood firm against that. Similarly, if most of cities favored to leave EU, cosmopolitan London overwhelmingly said no to withdrawal. It appeared that Brexit was an inimitable event after Second World War that left UK shattered and tattered.

Leaders favoring Brexit however maintain that easy immigration rules of EU permitted cheaper work force from other countries of the continent to land here and make many British workers jobless. That also derailed economy and the best for the British was to leave the Union. Hence the divorce!

Wiser after the event 

But success of Brexit by a thin majority shows that YES wasn’t the very popular verdict as it pushed England to a cross road. Many who voted YES now hold a second thought and clamour for another referendum to say NO to exit. As per these elements, they were swayed away by the pro exit politicians like Nigel Farage of anti-EU Independent Party and Boris Johnson, the former mayor of London who have lied and allured people with false promises once they’re out of EU.

Such voters now are trying to withdraw from their action. They have realized that leaving wasn’t good because European Union has come to be known as the superb family of 500 million people and it constitutes the biggest military power on earth. Besides being a diplomatic giant it is the second largest economy in world trade. Exit wasn’t good either for them or for the country.

They hold demonstrations and collect signatures to seek a second referendum, necessary to forestall exit talks under article 50 of EU because they won’t accept democratic YES to disunion for an answer. Ironically speaking, this dithering community now looks around for something that has gone out of their hands because in the matter of UK’s departure from EU, the die has been cast by democratic vote and undoing the same was too difficult if not impossible.

No Rights without Obligations

EU leaders on the other hand, who feel hurt and injured by YES verdict want to kick Britain out of their union at the earliest. They have pressed Prime Minster David Cameron to come out with a quick and clear plan to move out of EU as there’s no turning back from the vote. Cameron  after the vote has announced to step down and left matter of departure negotiations for his successor to deal with.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel didn’t see the possibility of an early start of the process as London needs time but she has clarified, “I see no way to reverse it” and this is not the time for “wishful thinking”. She said. As PM Cameron was arguing for the best possible exit conditions, French President Francois Holland made clear that Britain would have to meet their strict conditions if it wanted to continue to be part of this single market. “Whoever wants to leave this family cannot expect to have no more obligations but to keep privileges”, reminded Merkel.

Brexit & its aftershocks

Looking at the post referendum developments within UK, exit may not take place or at least that soon even when EU leaders have asked Cameron to initiate proceedings to delineate Britain from EU at the earliest.

In the meantime, a strong movement against ‘QUIT’ is building up in UK. Recently thousands of people draped in European flags carried signs reading “We love EU” descended on Parliament square in London to support ‘STAY’ within the decades old alliance. Evidently Brexit has put Britain in an impossible position. Country is experiencing aftershocks of referendum.

and many heads have rolled on this count. After his own failure in referendum and also sensing general mood of defiance against YES verdict, Prime Minister David Cameron announced to step down. May be he doesn’t want to go into pages of British history as the one who invoked Article 50 and triggered the “exit” talks.

Even those who led Brexit movement and won, are now running helter-skelter under panic. For example, Nigel Farage who spearheaded Brexit says he is standing down as leader of the UK Independence Party having achieved his “political ambition” with the UK having voted to leave the EU. Only a few days ago Boris Johnson, the most important face of the “leave” campaign and the one seen as next Prime Minister, ruled himself out of the race for 10 Downing Street. Probably he has assessed that the road ahead is so uncertain, and all the possibilities are so unpalatable for any future PM.

Under such circumstances who will rise to bell the cat of Art 50 is a million-dollar question!

In the End

Let it be known that the Exit campaign was offensive and triggered fear of immigration among voters. The success has boosted the morale of right-wing political leaders and outfits in Europe and beyond. It is interesting to note that if US President Obama advised the English to stay put   in European Union, the Republican presumptive nominee, Donald Trump, backed them to leave.  The British voter, perhaps inadvertently have conferred some respectability to hotheads around the world, who now feel emboldened to invoke narrow nationalism and isolationism in their respective domestic politics. The voices of openness, pluralism and tolerance have suffered a setback–may be temporarily!