Brexit – moment of caution for millennials!

The recent referendum where the United Kingdom voted to ‘Leave’ the 28 member European Union has sparked off debate all over the world, leaving people divided in their views on the repercussions of the vote on world economy. With a surge in public fear of immigration, the referendum was a close call with 51.9% in favour of Britain’s exit, or more popularly known as Brexit. This means an entire country’s future was determined by a difference of less than 4 percentage points, completely changing life of the 100% of the people who live in it. The referendum has exposed something approaching an intergenerational war of ideas – an issue that requires urgent attention.

As results of the referendum were still coming in, the British economy plummeted to a 31-year low, in turn showing its effects on other world economies. The vote also resulted in the British Prime Minister, David Cameron stepping down. David Cameron had fought hard for the United Kingdom to remain within the European Union, however, his long drawn battle came to an end on 24^th June, 2016. 

Traditionally, middle class baby boomers have been the ones to vote because of a sense of civic duty and because they have seen voting as the right thing to do. However, studies from the recent referendum have shown that a majority of those who voted for the United Kingdom’s exit, were older, white, working class Britons – 60% of who were in the 65+ age group, while 75% of Britons in the age group of 18-24 voted for the country to stay within the European Union.

A number of young Britons took to social media to voice their disapproval of the results – a future unacceptable to the younger generation, decided by a generation whose vast majority of people won’t be alive long enough. A common reasoning doing the rounds is that the world has moved in a way the older, working class people with no education is not comfortable with and does not consent to and this was their way of showing their displeasure towards the government.

With the results going in favour of the United Kingdom leaving the European Union, sentiments of Xenophobia and ‘Euroskeptism’ are prevalent. By keeping migrants out and the British in, the United Kingdom is clearly heading towards crushing the future generations’ freedom to live, work, travel and study in 27 other countries. While the rest of the world is talking about mobility and globalisation, the result of this referendum will only limit mobility and could also hamper the youths’ contribution towards global issues and making connections with other cultures, which in turn can lead to anti-intellectualism. Millennials understand diversity fosters innovation and economic progress, therefore, they realised the significance of staying within the European Union, however, the result of the referendum will leave little scope for that.      

Once the United Kingdom officially exits the European Union, tuition fees are likely to increase drastically. With the current fee structure being the same for British and other European Union students, students from other European Union member countries are in large numbers in the United Kingdom. If fees for European Union students go up, universities in the United Kingdom will see a significant drop in enrolment, making education more expensive for local British students.    

According to Grant Woodward, a Yorkshire Post columnist, “Brexit will come to be seen as the Baby Boomers’ ultimate betrayal of younger generations and those that will follow. A knee-jerk response to a series of red herrings, a protest vote with the potential for long-term catastrophe that they won’t be around to endure”

After the United Kingdom exits the European Union, there is fear of Scotland and Northern Ireland wanting to leave the United Kingdom in order to stay within the European Union. This could result in the British economy suffering another blow – a case of united we fall, divided we fall down further?

The next big event that will have a significant effect on world politics is the Presidential election in the United States of America later this year. The run up to the election is being widely covered by international media, with there being 2 very distinct camps set up. With the recent British referendum resulting in huge outrage amongst the youth, this is a shout out to millennials in other parts of the world to get up and vote for their nations. In today’s globalised and technologically advanced world, the millennials are very politically aware and have well rounded opinions about world politics, however, when it came to voting, the older generation beat them to it. If the results of the British referendum are not taken seriously, young Americans are at risk of treading the same path of allowing someone else to determine their future. As opposed to the youths’ participation in the British referendum, the 2014 Lok Sabha elections in India saw several first time Generation Y voters. A growing discontent amongst the youth was a major reason for people to step out and vote for change. The United States of America is facing a similar situation where citizens need a fundamental change in leadership that comes in with fresh ideas.

With education and worldly knowledge to reckon with, millennials are well poised to decide on their future, albeit by stepping out and casting their vote. If, like in the British referendum, the youth fails to go out in large numbers, they will end up being reluctant heirs of a nation they did not envision.