[ot-caption title=”The Brexit Decision has caused quite the controversy and has many connections to the US Presidential Election (via Public Domain Pictures/Petr Kratochvil)”] 

On June 23, 2016, 51.9% of UK citizens voted [via referendum] to leave the European Union.  [spacer height=”20px”]

The citizens that supported “Brexit” supported it because they felt that the UK needed stricter immigration reforms and they were willing to risk the fate of the economy to do so. Those who were against “Brexit” argued that the British economy was far more important than issues regarding immigration. [spacer height=”20px”]

It’s been almost 5 months and many people still oppose Brexit. A petition that was signed by over 4 million people was brought forth to the Parliament in July of 2016 pleading for a new referendum, once again asking if Britain should leave or stay in the EU. Although the Parliament ended up rejecting the petition, it still showed that UK citizens are uncertain about the decision they made just a few weeks before.[spacer height=”20px”]

The two major political parties in the UK are just as divided about the issue as the citizens. The Conservative Party and Labour Party have both been split among those who are pro-Brexit and those who are against it. The chart from BBC above shows what the members of Parliament’s stance is about the issue.[spacer height=”20px”]

As calls for reversal have increased, many in Britain wonder if it is possible for them to reverse the decision for Brexit. [spacer height=”20px”]

It would be very hard to reverse the decision. Parliament has to approve Brexit before the arduous process actually begins, but although they seem opposed to it, it is very likely that due to the initial vote by the people of the UK, a “hard Brexit” will still happen. [spacer height=”20px”]

Now, the United States is faced with a Brexit of their own. President-elect Donald J. Trump ran as a political outsider, something that has usually been unsuccessful in previous elections. Throughout his campaign, Trump has criticized the Washington “elites” and was a voice for those that were fed up with the U.S. government, much like the pro Brexit supporters were fed up with EU policies. Trump also ran on a platform of anti-immigration policies that included the wall between the US and Mexico and the shut down of Syrian refugees (an issue also brought up in the Brexit decision). Similar to the Brexit decision, the election of Trump has left our country divided with arguments from both sides on many of these issues. There are many similarities between the US Trump election and the Brexit decision, and hopefully both the US and Britain can remain peaceful and prosperous during these large changes in their political sphere. [spacer height=”20px”]

Sources: ABC News, BBC, CNN, New York Times, Bloomberg

Photo Source: http://www.publicdomainpictures.net/view-image.php?image=165944&picture=brexit