Ten years after the referendum, Britain remains deeply divided over Brexit’s impact.
Supporters argue that leaving the European Union restored national sovereignty, gave governments greater control over laws and borders, and created new opportunities outside the bloc. Critics counter that it has made the country poorer, complicated trade and travel, and piled extra pressure on public services without delivering many of the promises made during the campaign. As part of The Independent‘s Europe: The Way Back campaign, a series of debates has explored five of the biggest questions still shaping Britain’s relationship with Europe — with passionate arguments on both sides and no sign of a consensus.
Has Brexit been a success?
GB News’s deputy political editor Tom Harwood argues Brexit should primarily be judged on sovereignty rather than economics, pointing to Britain’s regained control over its laws and its ability to avoid being drawn into the EU’s commitment to “ever-closer union”. He also cites strong employment after the referendum, increased NHS funding, and the freedom to bypass regulations such as the EU’s AI Act, which he says could hamper innovation.
PoliticsJoe’s political editor Ava Santina argues Brexit failed to solve the problems many voters had hoped it would address, instead leaving Britain with slower growth, weaker investment and additional barriers to trade. She says politicians should stop relitigating the referendum and instead focus on rebuilding closer economic ties with Europe.
Did leaving the EU ruin holidays abroad for Brits?
The Independent’s global travel editor Annabel Grossman argues Brexit inevitably made travel more complicated. The end of free movement introduced passport validity rules, the 90-day limit in the Schengen Area, and soon biometric entry systems and travel authorisations. Economics professor Len Shackleton, however, argues that Brexit has encouraged Britons to broaden their horizons, with increasing numbers travelling to destinations including Japan, Morocco, Croatia and Thailand instead of relying on traditional European holidays.
What impact has leaving the EU had on the NHS?
The Nuffield Trust’s Mark Dayan acknowledges that Brexit undoubtedly created challenges for the NHS, particularly around staffing and medicine supplies, but argues it also gave Britain greater flexibility over medicines regulation, recruitment and medical innovation. Resident doctor Dr Holly Smith counters that Brexit weakened one of the NHS’s greatest strengths by making it harder to recruit and retain European healthcare staff, while the promised financial boost never materialised. Some observers also note that the ending of free movement gave the government the power to control immigration numbers, but that this power was not used to reduce numbers to a level that would have eased pressure on the health service.
Has Brexit been good for Britain’s economy?
The economic consequences of leaving the EU remain the most fiercely contested aspect of the debate. Economist Julian Jessop argues that Brexit allowed Britain to regain control over trade, regulation and taxation while saving billions in EU contributions. He insists that long-term economic success depends on how governments use those freedoms. Critics, however, point to mounting evidence that Brexit has made Britain poorer. The Independent columnist Sean O’Grady cites estimates that GDP is around six per cent lower than it otherwise would have been. He argues that barriers to trade and weaker investment have imposed long-term costs that new trade deals cannot fully offset. Some economists have also suggested that the UK’s economic performance since Brexit must be seen in the context of other major global events, including the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine, which have made it difficult to isolate the direct effect of leaving the EU. A lack of strategic planning during the transition from EU trade to global market trading has been highlighted by critics as a factor that compounded the economic impact.
Did Brexit let Britain ‘take back control’ of its borders?
Former diplomat Ameer Kotecha argues that Brexit delivered exactly what voters asked for by ending free movement and allowing Britain to design its own immigration system. He says record migration reflects political decisions made after Brexit rather than Brexit itself. Journalist Marie Le Conte argues that Brexit technically increased Britain’s control over immigration but failed to satisfy those who wanted lower migration, while also making the small boats crisis harder to manage after the UK left EU asylum arrangements. Some commentators have noted that “taking back control” was a central promise of the Leave campaign, but the reality of managing migration proved more complex than the slogan suggested.
What readers say
Reader comments reflect the continued intensity of feeling. “No [Brexit was not a success!] But could it have been a success? Maybe. The idea was great, the execution very questionable,” said Rasputin007. Kingswood wrote: “Not yet, but it will be when we finally get a government that fully capitalises on Brexit.” On travel, InnocentBystander said: “Brexit has been a disaster generally but particularly when it comes to travel.” Geejay added: “The EU bureaucracy wasn’t designed specifically for the UK… but encouraging long-haul flying is hardly a benefit.” Regarding the NHS, Kingswood argued that ending free movement gave the government the ability to control numbers, but “neither the Tories nor Labour ever had any intention of using those powers to lower immigration to more manageable levels”. Herbacious countered: “Brexit removed a large pool of EU professionals from the NHS… Add austerity and social care problems and you have today’s staffing crisis.” On the economy, Sharpfocus said: “Brexit was an accident waiting to happen! There was no strategic planning put in place to help the transition.” LennyThunderhawk replied: “Its impact has been negligible compared to Covid, Ukraine and Iran. We’re still a top-five economy.” On borders, foreign field noted: “Many who voted Leave did want immigration to fall, but many did not. The whole issue was surrounded by confusion and perhaps not a little dishonesty.” Leftyandproud concluded simply: “’Taking back control’ was only ever a slogan.”
