10 years after Brexit, British town warns Canada on referendums
Wakefield, England shows signs of regret as promised border control and immigration curbs failed to materialize after 2016 vote.
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Ten years after Wakefield, England voted overwhelmingly to leave the European Union, the northern town has become a cautionary tale about the long-term costs of narrow referendum victories — one Canada should heed as it weighs potential constitutional votes.
On June 23, 2016, just over half of Britain (51.9 per cent) voted for Brexit, while 48.1 per cent wanted to stay. In Wakefield and many other northern communities, nearly two-thirds voted to "leave." But the promised payoff has mostly evaporated.
For "leave" voters like pensioner John Welsby, Brexit failed on its central promise: controlling immigration. "The British people, I believe, voted for Brexit to control our borders, to control immigration, and it just hasn't happened," he said. The irony is stark — pre-Brexit, most newcomers were from the EU. Now non-EU arrivals, especially from Asia and Africa, dominate immigration flows, while overall numbers remain roughly unchanged.
For "remain" voters, the damage is economic. "Everything is more expensive. Food is on another level," said Donna Shaw, who runs an artificial flowers stall in the market. "There's definitely a regret for leaving, absolutely."
Political scientist Tim Bale, a professor at Queen Mary University of London, notes that the chaos has fractured British democracy. "With Brexit we've seen a polarization of public opinion, which has meant that voters are looking for more radical solutions," he said. The term "Broken Britain" has become shorthand for the country's perceived decline since leaving the EU's largest trading market.
