Testing Brexit: researchers layout blueprint for success – A successful Brexit. Four economic tests

The UK in a Changing Europe promotes rigorous, high-quality and independent research into the complex and ever changing relationship between the UK and the EU. It is funded by the Economic and Social Research Council and based at King’s College LondonA report setting out a clear, objective and detailed framework for evaluating the economic impact of Brexit was published by The UK in a Changing Europe on the 30 January 2017. A successful Brexit: Four economic tests outlined a framework for judging whether Brexit turned out to be successful.

The academics argued it was time to go beyond a fixation with process to consider the substantive effect of Brexit. To this end, they devised a set of four tests to evaluate the impact of Brexit.

They argued that, despite vigorous differences on the role of the EU, both Leave and Remain camps agreed that:

+ Britain should remain an open, outward-looking country
+ Both economic growth and social cohesion were important
+ Britain should preserve – or reassert – control over its economic destiny.

Based on these shared objectives, the four tests posed a number of questions:

+ The economy and public finances: A successful Brexit would make the country more prosperous overall and would improve our ability to finance our public services
+ Fairness: A successful Brexit would be one that helped those who have done worst and promotes opportunity and social mobility for all across the UK, but particularly for the most disadvantaged
+ Would Brexit preserve and extend the UK’s openness as an economy?: A successful Brexit would be one that maintains and enhanced the UK’s position as an open economy and society.
+ Would Brexit enhance democratic control?: A successful Brexit would be one that genuinely increased citizens’ control over their own lives.

For each of these tests, the report set out how membership of the EU impacted the UK today; why Brexit matters; and, in detail, how we might actually seek to measure success.

ESO: In Focus: Brexit - The United Kingdom and the European Union http://www.europeansources.info/record/brexit-the-united-kingdom-and-the-european-union/

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