Nine issues missing from the Brexit debate

With Theresa May’s Brexit deal being voted on again tonight, it’s a good time to reflect on the whole Brexit debate and nine issues which have been left out of it.

1. How the current Irish border affects people of colour

We’ve heard a lot about how frictionless and ideal the current Irish border is. UK law prohibits passport controls between the North and the Republic.

Media reports have tended to contrast this idealised status quo with a possible hard border, separating neighbours and damaging businesses.

Yet for many people of colour, a hard border already exists as they routinely have their passports checked on buses, planes, trains and cars.

The authorities also misuse terrorism laws. People were stopped 12,000 times in three years under terrorism powers – none were detained for counter-terrorism purposes. So terrorism powers are being used for immigration control.

While the current situation is racist and deeply flawed though, End Deportations Belfast think Brexit could make it worse.

2. Who is going to care for children and the elderly if EU nationals leave?

The post-Brexit immigration system has yet to be decided but it looks certain that freedom of movement in the EU will be ended.

EU nationals will probably be able to work here on a one-year work-dependent visa. But with far less rights than they have now, why would they come here instead of somewhere like Germany?

Both childcare and adult social care rely on EU nationals. Who will do the care work if they leave?

Depressingly, it looks like it will mainly be women, quitting their jobs to look after elderly relatives.

3. The Brexit debate has been dominated by men

When Brexit is discussed in Parliament, about 72% of the time it is men speaking. This is mostly because Parliament, and the Conservative Party in particular, is dominated by men. 68% of all MPs are male and for the Tories it’s about 80%.

4. How Labour are Labour Leave?

Not very – given their funding comes from Tory donors and Vote Leave. On its website, it lists just three supporters, and only one, Kate Hoey, is a Labour MP.

5. How will the overstretched UK Visas and Immigration Deparment deal with Brexit?

Answer – probably not very well. It’s already running close to full capacity and making mistakes as a result.

Now it’s having to deal with EU Citizens applying to stay in the UK. Each caseworker has 1,500 EU citizens’ applications to deal with. How many mistakes will be made, and lives ruined, as a result?

6. Why is Donald Trump’s adviser having such an influence on Brexit?

US National Security adviser John Bolton reportedly speaks regularly to Brexiteer ministers Chris Grayling and Liam Fox. Does this US Nationalist, who has been accused of supporting murderous cults and fascists, have the UK public’s best interests at heart?

7. Why do most Labour members still support Jeremy Corbyn

While much of the media obsesses over ‘wedges’ and ‘divides’ between the Labour membership and the leader they twice overwhelmingly elected, in reality support for him remains strong.

Yes, Labour members want another referendum but they also support Corbyn and his Brexit policy. Contradictory? Perhaps, but important to understand.

8. Why did Maidstone vote Leave?

With all the reports from Doncaster or Stoke-on-Trent, you’d be forgiven for thinking Brexit was delivered by the North of England. Yet Open Democracy’s Adam Ramsay argues, lots of Middle-Class stockbrokers in the South voted Leave too yet we rarely hear from them.

9. Does the DUP have a mandate to wield such power over Brexit?

They got far less votes than the Green Party yet they have ten times more seats than them – and are using them to prop up Theresa May’s government and push for a hard Brexit.

The DUP do not represent Northern Ireland on Brexit. Northern Ireland voted Remain by 56% to 44%. Yet almost all their MPs are hardcore Brexiteers.

Joe Lo is a freelance journalist and reporter for Left Foot Forward