First Amendment:
Is the UK better off without Europe? Did the country make the risky decision to leave the European Union a year ago? Our reporters Jonathan Walsh and Clovis Casale cross over to the English Channel to understand the consequences of Brexit in the everyday lives of citizens. From London to Belfast to Boston, the city with the most Brexit votes in 2016, they report on how the UK is changing.
On 23 June 2016, 51.89% of British voters chose to leave the European Union. The vote followed years of difficult negotiations to define the UK’s future relationship with the bloc, while divisions over Brexit deepened.
On January 31, 2020, the UK formally left the European Union and began an 11-month transition period to allow all parties to get used to the new rules. But today’s talks are not over yet. Brussels and London are at odds over many issues, including fishing rights and the Northern Ireland Protocol.
Our reporters Jonathan Walsh and Clovis Casale have traveled across the UK to understand the impact of Brexit on the lives of ordinary people. London, Belfast and Boston – the city most voted to leave the European Union – are some of the places they stop by. They meet with citizens hoping that Brexit will halt immigration, and others worried that their future outside Europe means fewer opportunities.
Among those interviewed was Nigel Farage, the former MEP who led the campaign to leave the European Union, who admitted that Boris Johnson’s government “can and must do much better” because “Brexit does not guarantee success”.
“Subtly charming bacon junkie. Infuriatingly humble beer trailblazer. Introvert. Evil reader. Hipster-friendly creator.”