As a young person interested in politics but sadly unable to vote when the Brexit vote was held in 2016, I’ve managed to speak openly about Brexit and why I think the effects of Brexit has devastating effects for the younger generations,especially if we leave with no deal. Something that worries a lot of the younger generation and people on both sides of the debate is the future of our NHS.
To reiterate, many people voted to leave the EU, in hopes of bettering the NHS. With all good intentions, I feel the people who voted with the strong belief that the NHS would improve, was given false facts and mislead. Before I explain my argument, it’s only right to share the argument that the leave campaigners were producing:
“We will take back full control of our money which we will be able to spend on our priorities such as the NHS. We will leave the EU regional funding programmes – with the UK deciding how we spend this money in the future”.
However the politician and member of the European Parliament, Daniel Hannan, who also was a campaigner for the Leave party, exercised this argument to anyone who was willing to listen. However since we voted to leave in 2016, much to Mr Hannans delight, he is now part of an organisation that is wanting to sell part of the NHS to American companies who are private. This means our NHS, a national treasure could fall to privatisation. How is this bettering our NHS? Our NHS provides for everyone, especially for people who can’t afford healthcare but who are in need of it. Why would we financially burden people who are already ill and are in need of support or create a further gap between the upper and lower class? To further my argument, the Conservative party who are at the tables negotiating with the EU, are known for limiting funding on public services like the NHS. So who’s to say that when we leave, and the tories will still be in power, that the money to go towards the NHS, will? Also with a “no deal Brexit” which Boris Johnson seems to be pushing for, will our medical supplies, staff and medication be limited? If a no deal Brexit takes place, this is what the government has put in place:
“The government has asked firms to stockpile a six-week supply of drugs to mitigate any problems if there is no deal”-Nick Triggle, health correspondent
The government knows fine well with a “no deal Brexit”, our NHS is on the line, but it’s willing to take the risk, if it betters their political agenda. Knowing that they’ve stocked piled medication , incase of an emergency, surely shows that they won’t know the outcome of this exit. So why put so much trust and confidence in a government that should know the outcomes of Brexit on our NHS. Our NHS collapsing or becoming privatised is something that will scare the majority of the public. It will create divides between social class and financially burden the majority of people who can’t afford massive healthcare bills. Our NHS will suffer at the hands of Brexit.
The UK is due to leave the EU on October 31st of this year, after failing to negotiate a deal before the Original exit date back in March, earlier this year. After Thersa May resigned, Boris Johnson, our new Prime Minister has swiftly taken on negotiating Brexit deals with a hung parliament.
Last week,Boris Johnson asked the Queen for prorogation. What is prorogation:? “Prorogation (pronounced ‘pro-ro-ga-tion’) marks the end of a parliamentary session. It is the formal name given to the period between the end of a session of Parliament and the State Opening of Parliament that begins the next session. The parliamentary session may also be prorogued before Parliament is dissolved.” Which suggests that prorogation was for the Prime Minister to sort the Brexit deal, as the deadline is near. However, with the MPs currently just returning to parliament after their summer recess, when the Prorogation law is passed on Friday the 6th of September, it will make it harder for the MPs and the Prime Minister to negotiate a Brexit deal before the 31st of October. Although the opposition parties claim that he asked for prorogation to stop MPs voting against a “no deal brexit”
This Tuesday Johnson asked for the House of Commons to vote to organise another “snap general election” on October the 15th, two weeks before the EU exit date. However the majority of MPs voted against the general election, as they knew that if they did, a “no deal brexit” would be on the table for negotiations and in the manifestos of the Tory party whilst campaigning for the general election . Why would this work? It’s been three years since we voted to leave and 5 months since Britain was suppose to leave and it’s safe to say people are fed up. If this is the case, many people will vote for the conservatives and a “no deal” Brexit because they just want this all over with. A “no deal Brexit” could come true which puts the UK economy at greater risk, when Brexit is supposed to “improve” the economy and trade markets. How is our trading suppose to improve if we leave without a deal that doesn’t secure a trading relationship with the EU? We couldn’t trade and if we could, our stalk is down 27 countries.
Overall,I think the Brexit negotiations could go either way. We leave with no deal if our Prime Minister can gain a general election on Monday and smartly campaign for no deal before October the 31st. Or the Government will continue to be hung and undecided, sending us back to square one and extending the date for us to leave the EU, to only set more discontent within the government and the British public and therefore not leaving the EU whatsoever .
By Katie White, Political Editor
Sources: www.gov.uk, www.conservative.com, BBC News, www.parliament.uk, ITV News
