‘Absolute nightmare’: Brexit bellwether constituencies revisited 10 years on
Summary
This article revisits five key areas in the UK that were closely watched during the 2016 Brexit referendum. It describes how people in these places feel about Brexit ten years later, focusing on challenges in fishing and farming industries caused by new rules and extra costs after the UK left the EU.Key Facts
- Torridge and West Devon voted 57% to leave the EU in 2016.
- Tony Rutherford, a local fish business owner, says Brexit has been very difficult for the fishing industry, with little benefit from government agreements.
- Exporting fish to the EU became complicated and expensive, requiring VAT registration in France, hiring French accountants, health certificates, and extra customs paperwork.
- Rutherford says delays and mistakes in paperwork have caused losses of tens of thousands of pounds on several shipments.
- Many local exporters in southwest England have stopped exporting due to these costs and difficulties.
- Ceredigion voted 54.6% to remain in the EU.
- The area’s economy depended heavily on EU funding, and local farming now struggles with shorter subsidy cycles and new health and safety checks for exports.
- Political changes followed Brexit, including the loss of the local Liberal Democrat MP, with Brexit being a factor in election results.
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