UK Parliament, 2016 UK

As the elected body of the United Kingdom, Parliament and its 650 members are tasked with solving the problems Britain faces every day. During the 2010s, one of the biggest problems was the European Union. Feeling bogged down and limited by them, the European Union became a massive target of the U.K.’s increasing woes in the 21st century. Those woes are represented by three major issues: trade, immigration, and sovereignty. Firstly, the British felt that their economic stagnation was the result of the European Union’s heavy regulation of trade and the domestic economy, so there was a belief that leaving the European Union would allow the United Kingdom to flourish under a pro-business philosophy. Secondly, many believed that the European Union’s pro-immigration stance was being forced upon the United Kingdom, which preferred to keep its borders and prioritize domestic labor. Finally, all these issues culminate in a general feeling that the United Kingdom is culturally detached from the rest of Europe and should not need an international body to supervise it. Of course, European Union membership also has its benefits, such as access to the world’s largest single market.

TOPIC A: United Kingdom European Union Membership Referendum

In this committee, delegates will assume the roles of members of Parliament in June 2015, before the European Referendum Act of 2015 was passed. With mounting civil unrest from both Pro- and Anti-Brexiters, delegates will have to consider the pros and cons of staying in the European Union as they decide whether or not to have a referendum in the first place. While it can be easy to defer the decision to citizens, some believe that the popular vote can be blinded by passion and emotion. It will be up to the members of Parliament to use their best judgment to see if external solutions can be found to settle the issues behind Brexit instead of settling on a permanent and binding exit from the European Union.