While campaigning for reelection, British Prime Minister David Cameron promised that if he were voted back into the office, he would hold a referendum on whether Britain should remain a member of the European Union. He has kept to his word, and a few months ago he announced June 23rd as the date of the referendum. Even though Cameron strongly supports British membership of the EU, he promised the referendum in response to a recent rise of anti-EU sentiment in Britain, though recent polling is still fairly split on whether British citizens support the “Brexit.” This may seem a distant issue for people living in the United States, let alone Charlottesville. However, Britain leaving the EU would not only hurt British citizens, but Americans as well.
The first problem is that a Brexit would damage the British economy, in which the United States has a vested interest. An excellent opinion article by The New York Times editorial board lays out all the benefits in depth. The conclusion of the article states, “Ultimately, separating from the union is highly unlikely to yield the economic bounty supporters have promised and it would leave Britain more isolated and probably poorer.” No one, least of all the United States, benefits if the British economy starts to weaken. In Jan. 2016 alone we exported $3.9 billion and imported $3.6 billion worth of goods from Britain. Britain will face new tariffs on this trade if they leave, which will ultimately hurt our economic relationship.
While every American may not notice the economic impact of Britain leaving in their daily lives, they will all notice an immediate difference strategically. The United States benefits greatly from the strength of the EU, and the Brexit would significantly weaken an already reeling EU. Britain is the fourth largest contributor to the EU budget and third largest by population. Losing Britain would also make other countries question their membership. Euroscepticism is rising all over Europe, especially with the current refugee crisis, and many countries could follow Britain if it exited.
Although the EU can be a rival of the United States at times, right now it is in our interest to have a strong EU. Russia is the first big reason for that, as its government would like nothing more than to be able to deal with 27 different European countries rather than the EU as a whole. The recent aggression by Russia was halted, in part, by EU sanctions. That sort of collective action is what makes the EU so powerful. The United States can try to check Russian power, but it will be a great deal harder to influence Russia without a strong EU in the region backing our actions.
We also need a strong EU due to the continuing threat of terrorism. Europe, even more so than the United States, has become a major target for Islamic terrorists. One thing that makes terrorism so hard to deal with is that it operates with little regard for borders or jurisdictions. The EU is an essential part of cooperation on intelligence and terrorism measures. A Brexit would only increase the distrust between EU partners, heighten isolation and make neighboring countries less likely to work together. The United States also benefits from the EU’s ability to fight terrorism, and so the less competent Europe is, the less safe we are.
Overall, we will be poorer and less safe if Britain leave the EU. Britain is one of our oldest allies and what voters choose on June 23rd will ultimately affect us. Europe is in crisis; Greece, the refugee issues, terrorism and an economic slowdown are just a few of the problems. Weakening the EU does not help anyone in Europe and does not help the United States.
Bobby Doyle is an Opinion columnist for The Cavalier Daily. He can be reached at b.doyle@cavalierdaily.com.
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