English Learning Content: Brexit’s Long-Term Consequences

Dialogue

Alice: Bob, you wouldn’t believe what happened at the supermarket today! My favorite brand of fancy French cheese was completely gone! And the prices, oh my goodness!

Bob: Let me guess, Alice, you’re blaming Brexit again, aren’t you? It’s always something with you!

Alice: Well, obviously! It’s one of Brexit’s long-term consequences, isn’t it? Everything feels more complicated, and my cheese supply is a national emergency!

Bob: (chuckles) Your cheese supply is hardly a national emergency. But I get what you mean. The paperwork for importing seems to have gone through the roof, even for a block of Stilton, let alone Brie.

Alice: Exactly! And remember how easy it was to just hop over to Paris for a weekend trip? Now, passports need stamping, and there are more hoops to jump through than an agility dog competition.

Bob: True. The whole travel thing definitely feels a bit clunkier. My cousin tried to send a parcel to his friend in Germany last month, and it ended up costing him an arm and a leg, plus it got stuck in customs for ages.

Alice: See? It’s not just my cheese! It’s the small things that really add up. Like finding staff for hospitality – everyone I know in catering says it’s a nightmare.

Bob: Yeah, the labor market definitely took a hit in certain sectors. Farmers too, apparently. My uncle runs a small farm, and he’s struggling to find seasonal workers like never before.

Alice: It’s almost like we didn’t quite foresee all the ripple effects, is it? We were promised sunlit uplands, and I’m still waiting for my ray of sunshine.

Bob: Well, economic models are tricky, aren’t they? It’s not just about trade deals; it’s about supply chains, regulations, and all the invisible strings that hold things together.

Alice: Invisible strings that are now tangled up like my headphones! And what about all the promises of cutting red tape? I feel like I’m drowning in more red tape than ever.

Bob: (nods slowly) You’ve got a point there. Some argue it’s just the transition phase, but it does feel like the bureaucratic burden has increased in many areas rather than decreased.

Alice: So, my fancy cheese might never return to its former glory? This is truly devastating, Bob. Truly devastating.

Bob: Maybe we just need to adapt and find new British cheeses, Alice. There’s some excellent cheddar out there!

Alice: (sighs dramatically) It’s just not the same, Bob. It’s just not the same.

Current Situation

Brexit, the United Kingdom’s withdrawal from the European Union, has continued to unfold its long-term consequences across various sectors. Economically, analyses generally suggest a negative impact on the UK’s GDP, primarily due to increased trade barriers with its largest trading partner, the EU. Businesses have faced new customs checks, regulatory divergences, and supply chain disruptions, leading to higher costs and reduced trade volumes.

The labor market has seen shifts, with certain sectors like hospitality, agriculture, and healthcare experiencing shortages, partly due to reduced freedom of movement for EU citizens. Investment has also been a concern, with some international companies reconsidering the UK as a European hub.

The Northern Ireland Protocol remains a complex issue, creating a de facto customs border in the Irish Sea to avoid a hard border on the island of Ireland, which has caused political and economic tensions. Internationally, the UK is forging new trade deals, but these have not fully compensated for the lost trade volume with the EU.

Consumers have experienced rising costs and reduced availability of some goods, partly attributed to the new trade friction. While proponents argue that Brexit offers long-term opportunities for regulatory freedom and global trade, its immediate and mid-term effects have presented significant challenges, requiring ongoing adaptation from businesses, government, and individuals.

Key Phrases

• gone through the roof: to have increased to a very high level.
  • Example: Energy prices have gone through the roof this winter.
• hoops to jump through: obstacles or complicated procedures one must go through to achieve something.
  • Example: Getting that visa meant going through so many hoops to jump through.
• an arm and a leg: a very large amount of money; very expensive.
  • Example: That designer handbag must have cost her an arm and a leg.
• add up: to accumulate and become significant.
  • Example: All these small expenses really add up by the end of the month.
• took a hit: to be negatively affected or damaged.
  • Example: The company’s profits took a hit after the scandal.
• ripple effects: the continuing and spreading results of an event or action.
  • Example: The closure of the factory had widespread ripple effects on the local economy.
• sunlit uplands: a metaphor for a prosperous and optimistic future (often used ironically in the context of Brexit).
  • Example: Many hoped for sunlit uplands after the major policy change, but reality proved more challenging.
• red tape: official rules and procedures that seem unnecessary and cause delays.
  • Example: Businesses often complain about the excessive red tape involved in exporting goods.
• drowning in something: to have too much of something to deal with.
  • Example: After the holidays, I was drowning in emails.

Grammar Points

1. Conditional Sentences (Type 3): Expressing Regret/Hypothetical Past

Structure: If + past perfect, would have + past participle

This type of conditional sentence is used to talk about a hypothetical situation in the past and its hypothetical consequence. It often expresses regret or what could have happened but didn’t. Alice’s lament about not foreseeing “all the ripple effects” implies this structure.

• Example: If we had foreseen all the ripple effects, things might have been different. (Implied from the dialogue)
• General Example: If I had studied harder, I would have passed the exam.

2. Phrasal Verbs for Challenges and Change

Phrasal verbs are combinations of a verb and a preposition or adverb (or both), which create a new meaning. They are very common in informal English.

• jump through (hoops): to overcome difficulties or complete tedious tasks.
  • From dialogue: “more hoops to jump through“
• add up: to accumulate; to make sense.
  • From dialogue: “the small things that really add up“
• take a hit: to be negatively affected or damaged.
  • From dialogue: “the labor market definitely took a hit“
• drown in: to be overwhelmed by too much of something.
  • From dialogue: “I feel like I’m drowning in more red tape”

3. Modal Verbs for Speculation and Observation

Modal verbs like “might,” “could,” “should,” and “must” are used to express various attitudes such as degrees of certainty, possibility, advice, or necessity.

• Might (possibility/uncertainty):
  • From dialogue: “my fancy cheese might never return” (Alice expresses uncertainty about the future.)
• Feels like/Feels a bit (observation/perception): While not a modal verb, “feels like” is used to express an observation or perception about a situation.
  • From dialogue: “The whole travel thing definitely feels a bit clunkier.” (Bob’s perception of travel.)
  • From dialogue: “it does feel like the bureaucratic burden has increased” (Bob’s perception of bureaucracy.)

Practice Exercises

Exercise 1: Fill in the Blanks with Key Phrases

Complete the sentences using the most appropriate key phrase from the list below. You may need to change the form of the verb.

an arm and a leg, hoops to jump through, ripple effects, took a hit, gone through the roof, drowning in, red tape, add up, sunlit uplands

1. After the factory closed, the local economy really __________.
2. Buying a house in the city can cost you __________.
3. The company is __________ applications after their new recruitment campaign.
4. Many small businesses struggle with all the government __________.
5. Gas prices have __________ this month, making commuting very expensive.
6. The new policy had unexpected __________ across the entire industry.
7. She had to go through several __________ before her business loan was approved.
8. I was promised a promotion and __________ but ended up with more work and no raise.
9. All the little problems with the project are starting to __________.

Exercise 2: Sentence Transformation (Conditional Sentences)

Rewrite the following sentences using a Type 3 Conditional structure (If + past perfect, would have + past participle).

1. We didn’t invest in renewable energy, so now we regret the high electricity bills.

   If we _____________________________________, we _____________________________________.

2. He didn’t listen to the advice, which is why he made a big mistake.

   If he _____________________________________, he _____________________________________.

3. I didn’t bring an umbrella, so I got wet in the rain.

   If I _____________________________________, I _____________________________________.

Exercise 3: Comprehension Questions

Answer the following questions based on the dialogue.

1. What is Alice primarily complaining about at the beginning of the dialogue?
2. What specific problems related to Brexit does Bob mention for his cousin and uncle?
3. What metaphor does Alice use to describe complicated regulations?
4. How does Alice feel about the idea of adapting to new British cheeses?

Answers

Exercise 1: Fill in the Blanks with Key Phrases – Answers

1. took a hit
2. an arm and a leg
3. drowning in
4. red tape
5. gone through the roof
6. ripple effects
7. hoops to jump through
8. sunlit uplands
9. add up

Exercise 2: Sentence Transformation (Conditional Sentences) – Answers

1. If we had invested in renewable energy, we wouldn’t have had high electricity bills.
2. If he had listened to the advice, he wouldn’t have made a big mistake.
3. If I had brought an umbrella, I wouldn’t have got/gotten wet in the rain.

Exercise 3: Comprehension Questions – Answers

1. Alice is primarily complaining about her favorite brand of fancy French cheese being unavailable and its prices going up.
2. Bob mentions that his cousin’s parcel to Germany cost an arm and a leg and got stuck in customs, and his uncle (a farmer) is struggling to find seasonal workers.
3. Alice uses the metaphor of “tangled up like my headphones” to describe complicated regulations.
4. Alice sighs dramatically and says “It’s just not the same,” indicating she is not happy about adapting to new British cheeses.