Brexit Remains A Pivotal Issue in UK Election: Expert

KUALA LUMPUR, July 4 (Bernama) -- As voters in the United Kingdom prepare to head to the polls on Thursday, Brexit looms large as a pivotal issue shaping voter sentiment and guiding party strategies.

Head of School and Associate Professor in the School of Politics at the University of Nottingham, Malaysia, Dr Benjamin Robin Barton, said Brexit is a key concern among voters, consistently raised in polls as a significant factor driving them to vote.

“Brexit remains an issue which is, I think, taboo among the political class as a whole.

“The Conservative Party, under Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, has seen improvements in relations between the UK and the European Union, which stakeholders have welcomed.

“However, the party remains steadfast in maintaining Brexit as an objective, emphasising the need for good trade relations with the EU while pursuing an independent trade policy,” he said during an interview featured in the Bernama World programme, produced by Bernama TV on Wednesday.

Barton highlighted that the Conservative Party’s strategy involves preventing trade barriers with the EU and continuing to sign free trade agreements with countries like Australia, New Zealand and Japan.

“This approach aims to balance the benefits of Brexit with the practicalities of maintaining robust international trade.

“The Conservative Party is very staunch and it is not going to go back on Brexit,” said Barton, highlighting the party’s commitment to its Brexit agenda.

In contrast, he pointed out the Labour Party, led by Keir Starmer, advocates for a greater partnership with the EU, focusing on cooperation in areas like climate change and alignment on international issues, particularly in light of the ongoing war in Ukraine.

“Brexit is still very much a difficult issue to navigate for all the parties involved.”

Polling stations across the UK will open on Thursday (July 4) as the nation prepares to elect a new prime minister.

Dubbed as the first national election in almost five years, the polling will see voters across the UK elect all 650 members of the House of Commons, with each member representing a local constituency.

The UK, which consists of England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales, has a population of about 67 million and has the sixth-largest economy in the world.

-- BERNAMA