Ten ways life might change if we leave the EU
Whether you will vote to stay in or to leave the EU, there's certainly no getting away from the debate! Check out our list of ten ways that life might change if we were to Brexit.
1. Freedom of movement
The UK doesn’t fall within the Schengen Area (an area of 26 European countries that have removed border controls at their internal borders) but our movement across Europe has a certain amount of freedom because we’re in the EU. That being said, it seems unlikely that the EU would make it difficult for Brits to travel to Europe as we currently spend a fortune on holidays over there.
It’s possible, albeit a small consideration, that we might have to get our passports stamped every time we enter or leave the EU, which for regular travellers would mean a larger, more expensive passport.
2. Cost of holidays
Still on the theme of travel, there is a lot of speculation that a Brexit would hit our pockets in terms of the cost of our European holidays. A number of airlines including Ryanair, Easyjet and Monarch are openly opposing leaving the EU as they believe it would result in higher air fares and less direct flights between the European Union and the UK.
3. Pay, holidays and maternity/paternity leave
Currently EU law governs our workers’ rights in terms of maternity and paternity leave, holiday pay and what happens in the event of large scale redundancies. A Brexit could result in pressure from business groups to the relax the current standards.
4. Environmental regulations
At the moment the EU imposes a number of regulations on environmental issues including pollution, energy efficiency and the cleanliness of our beaches. It’s possible that this could all go by the wayside if we do end up leaving.
5. Phone calls abroad
Known as the “Eurotariff” the European Union has so far held responsibility for deciding how much we can be charged for using a mobile operator outside of our home state. However, with the EU having agreed to scrap mobile roaming charges completely, this change may not have a great impact even if we do leave the union.
6. Sport
According to Karren Brady, Vice-Chair of West Ham United, if leaving the EU put us outside the free movement arrangement, players from the EU would not be able to sign so easily for UK football clubs. This would leave two thirds of European footballers, currently playing for clubs in the UK, failing to meet visa criteria. Additionally, we would no longer have access to cultural programmes such as the European Capital of Culture (won by Liverpool in 2008) which amongst other things, provides large sums of prize money for areas such as cinema, architecture and the creative industries.
7. Farming
The EU’s common agricultural policy (CAP) is due to subsidise UK farmers to the tune of £27.8bn between 2014 and 2020, a large part of which is used for “agri-environment” schemes where farmers are paid to carry out tasks that enhance and protect the environment. Whilst the British government would most likely want to continue with some subsidies, the likelihood is that leaving the CAP regime would reduce farm incomes.
8. Security and Defence
Despite slow and uncertain progress towards a common EU defence policy, the Lisbon treaty which came into force in 2009, created the common security and defence policy. Despite only handling peace missions, the treaty has helped various nations establish stability and in Afghanistan has worked with NATO to improve the Afghan police. David Cameron has also highlighted the fact that sharing intelligence with the EU, as well as the European Arrest Warrant, have helped prevent attacks and track down terrorists.
9. Higher Education
The EU provides around 15% of our academic workforce and more than 200,000 UK students and 20,000 UK university staff have benefited from spending time abroad through the Erasmus exchange programme. EU legislation dictates that citizens moving to another member state be given the same access to education as nationals of that member state, effectively paying the same tuition fees, and being able to apply for the same loans. Whilst a Brexit would save the government money through not having to provide loans or maintenance funding to EU students, UK universities would also, very likely, lose access to EU research funding and student mobility schemes. Consequently, all universities in the UK have come out against Brexit. Julie Goodfellow, president of Universities UK and vice-chancellor of the University of Kent, said: “British students benefit from being taught by the best minds from across Europe. Membership of the European Union is good for our universities and good for the science and research that improves people’s lives.”
10. Expats abroad
British expats are understandably concerned about a Brexit. There are around two million UK expatriates living in other EU countries whose pension and healthcare rights are currently protected under reciprocal arrangements. These arrangements, along with the right to own property, claim benefits and work in Europe would no longer automatically apply. It would then be up to the British Government to try and strike a deal on behalf of its expats and may well result in a lot of them returning to the UK.
So what's your opinion? Would you like to jump into the unknown and leave the EU or are you more comfortably sticking with what we've already got? I'd love to hear your thoughts.
Share This Post
Posted In
cHRysos HR Solutions are a UK wide HR training and consultancy company offering CIPD accredited qualifications, Apprenticeships, Training and HR Services to SMEs. For more information about how cHRysos HR can help you or your teams successfully achieve further qualifications, contact us on info@chrysos.org.uk or call 03300 562443.