William Murphy/Flickr. (CC 2.0 by)
We are approaching the end game: a date has been set for the Brexit Referendum. On 23 June the UK will go to the polls to decide whether to say yes or no to Europe. If the people vote yes, the provisions of the “New Settlement for the United Kingdom within the European Union” will take effect; if they vote no, the UK will cease to be a member of the EU.
After 44 years in Europe and 11 years waiting to join, the UK is divided on whether to remain in the European Union or leave. The Celtic fringe of the UK—Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland nationalists are in favour of continuing EU membership. The Republic of Ireland, which joined in 1972 with the UK, is strongly in favour of EU membership. Ireland’s GDP per capita in purchasing power standards has moved from 64.2% of the EU average in 1972 to 134% in 2014, and Ireland has moved from market isolation to market integration.
