'It's added a lot more uncertainty' Millennials worried post-Brexit future looks bleak
CBC Radio | Posted: June 24, 2016 9:55 PM | Last Updated: June 24, 2016
Britain has decided to go it alone.
On Thursday night, the British people voted 52 per cent in favour of leaving the European Union in a referendum.
The so-called "Brexit" has left financial markets reeling and many in pro-EU Scotland pushing for another vote on their own independence. It's also cost the Prime Minister his job. David Cameron announced he will resign in the face of a humiliating defeat for the Remain side.
But while UK voters clearly chose for Britain to leave the EU, most of the younger generation didn't.
One poll has three out of every four youth votes for the Remain side. Now that Euro-friendly generation must come to terms with the decision of their elders. Elizabeth Mayfield, 19-year-old Labour party member, spoke with As It Happens host Carol Off about the historic decision and what it means for her generation.
Carol Off: Elizabeth, how does this vote change the way you think about your own future?
Elizabeth Mayfield: It's added a lot more uncertainty because obviously there's going to be a risk to jobs and things like that. I was hoping potentially to one day travel around Europe and hopefully in it. We have no idea, well I have no idea, if that's going to be possible now. We've got several years of negotiations to go through and we've absolutely no idea what the end's going to look like because there is almost literally no plan.
CO: Boris Johnson stated today in his speech that young people can look forward to a more secure and prosperous future. What do you say to Mr. Johnson?
EM: I wouldn't believe anything Mr. Johnson says, unfortunately. I don't believe that any of his campaign has been run on honesty. I don't think he believes what he is saying and I don't at all think we are going to have a more secure future. I think it's going to be a lot more obviously Britain-focused and there's going to be less opportunity for people especially when it comes to jobs. So many jobs that we have rely on the EU. Although no one seems to quite know the numbers, I know some people have already been cutting staff today. Our employment rate is already very low when it comes to new graduations and things. So I'm most worried about jobs and I don't think he is really addressing young people when he says that it's going to be any more secure for us.
CO: 75 per cent of young people voted to remain and it's the inverse with the older generation. A Financial Times columnist that's making wide rounds today said that, "an older generation has effectively shut the door to Europe on their children and their grandchildren." Do you blame the older generation for what happened?
EM: I don't think you can specifically blame the older generation — there's more than just that. The turnout among young people was very low, for example, because the campaigns just didn't engage with the younger generation. But the older generation, yes, I do feel like they've shot a lot of opportunities out for us. I feel like it was not their choice to make for us and what's worrying is the fact that the majority of older people didn't vote to leave for socialist reasons. They voted for the fact that they want to shut the borders down and they don't like immigration. The worrying part there is that these people hate immigrants more than they love their own family and they don't want to give their family as many choices as they have. I think it should be down to the younger people to make up their future.
On Thursday night, the British people voted 52 per cent in favour of leaving the European Union in a referendum.
The so-called "Brexit" has left financial markets reeling and many in pro-EU Scotland pushing for another vote on their own independence. It's also cost the Prime Minister his job. David Cameron announced he will resign in the face of a humiliating defeat for the Remain side.
But while UK voters clearly chose for Britain to leave the EU, most of the younger generation didn't.
One poll has three out of every four youth votes for the Remain side. Now that Euro-friendly generation must come to terms with the decision of their elders. Elizabeth Mayfield, 19-year-old Labour party member, spoke with As It Happens host Carol Off about the historic decision and what it means for her generation.
Carol Off: Elizabeth, how does this vote change the way you think about your own future?
Elizabeth Mayfield: It's added a lot more uncertainty because obviously there's going to be a risk to jobs and things like that. I was hoping potentially to one day travel around Europe and hopefully in it. We have no idea, well I have no idea, if that's going to be possible now. We've got several years of negotiations to go through and we've absolutely no idea what the end's going to look like because there is almost literally no plan.
CO: Boris Johnson stated today in his speech that young people can look forward to a more secure and prosperous future. What do you say to Mr. Johnson?
EM: I wouldn't believe anything Mr. Johnson says, unfortunately. I don't believe that any of his campaign has been run on honesty. I don't think he believes what he is saying and I don't at all think we are going to have a more secure future. I think it's going to be a lot more obviously Britain-focused and there's going to be less opportunity for people especially when it comes to jobs. So many jobs that we have rely on the EU. Although no one seems to quite know the numbers, I know some people have already been cutting staff today. Our employment rate is already very low when it comes to new graduations and things. So I'm most worried about jobs and I don't think he is really addressing young people when he says that it's going to be any more secure for us.
CO: 75 per cent of young people voted to remain and it's the inverse with the older generation. A Financial Times columnist that's making wide rounds today said that, "an older generation has effectively shut the door to Europe on their children and their grandchildren." Do you blame the older generation for what happened?
EM: I don't think you can specifically blame the older generation — there's more than just that. The turnout among young people was very low, for example, because the campaigns just didn't engage with the younger generation. But the older generation, yes, I do feel like they've shot a lot of opportunities out for us. I feel like it was not their choice to make for us and what's worrying is the fact that the majority of older people didn't vote to leave for socialist reasons. They voted for the fact that they want to shut the borders down and they don't like immigration. The worrying part there is that these people hate immigrants more than they love their own family and they don't want to give their family as many choices as they have. I think it should be down to the younger people to make up their future.
This interview was edited for length and clarity.
James Cleverly is a Conservative Member of Parliament who voted to leave the EU. He spoke with As It Happens host Carol Off about why he welcomes the decision.
As the Leave side in the British referendum celebrated, the Remain supporters have been left in shock. Keith Vaz is a Labour Member of Parliament and a former minister for Europe.
James Cleverly is a Conservative Member of Parliament who voted to leave the EU. He spoke with As It Happens host Carol Off about why he welcomes the decision.
As the Leave side in the British referendum celebrated, the Remain supporters have been left in shock. Keith Vaz is a Labour Member of Parliament and a former minister for Europe.