I read in the newspapers recently that our former prime minister, Kamla Persad-Bissessar is calling on our current Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley to explain how T&T would be affected by Brexit. There have been several articles by commentators both here and abroad purporting to give information on the effects of Brexit.
What is both amazing and amusing to me is that, so far, there has been no Brexit (the exit of Britain from the European Union). All that has happened is that there has been a referendum in the UK which resulted in a majority vote in favour of seceding from the EU. The result of this referendum carries no legal weight.
In order for Britain to leave the EU the following steps have to be taken. Firstly, British law requires that the Queen's Parliament must pass a law to withdraw from the Union. Secondly, this intention has to be relayed to the Council of the EU within three months. This in turn would trigger Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty which spells out how member states can leave the Union. Next, the European Council will negotiate the terms of withdrawal with the seceding member.
Now let's look at the timeline for all this to happen. David Cameron says he will resign as Prime Minister by October. This means that there probably won't be a vote on Brexit in the British Parliament before November. A lot of water can flow under the bridge between now and then, including more referenda.
Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales are threatening their own, and there is also talk of a repeat of the Brexit vote. The Lisbon Treaty provides for two years for negotiation of new trade and other treaties with the Council of the European Union and the 27 remaining members, but this can also be extended.
So, how will T&T be affected by all this? Only time will tell. All other comments and predictions at this time are purely speculative, and unless Dr Rowley considers himself to be a seer man he would be well advised to watch and wait.
George Boxill,
Santa Cruz