EU and commonwealth

• The UK joined the EU in 1973. Today, the EU consists of 28 countries. It is one of the world’s largest trading blocs and has considerable political and economic influence. In 2016 the UK opted to leave the EU.
• Membership of the EU means:​

  • the free flow of goods, services, capital and labour between the 28 member states​
  • access to European development funds​
  • access to a migrant labour force that is prepared to work long hours for a relatively low wage​
  • EU laws and regulations apply to the UK​
  • the Single Payment Scheme supports farmers​
  • a substantial amount of money is paid into the EU budget​
• On the 31st January 2020, the UK left the EU, with a transition period lasting until the 31st of December 2020. There will be ongoing ties between the EU block and the UK through trade and tourism, but the UK will have more sovereign control over its affairs.​
• The UK has strong economic and political ties with many countries within the Commonwealth. The Common wealth aims to provide support to individual countries, provide smaller countries with a voice and encourage co-operation between member states.
• The heads of each country meet every two years to discuss concerns, promote trade and business links and promote sustainable development.​
• Many British descendants live in Common wealth countries around the world, including Australia, Canada and New Zealand. Similarly, many people have also migrated from Common wealth regions such as India, Nigeria and the Carribean to the UK. This has supported the development of strong cultural and business links.​
• There are also sporting events, such as the Commonwealth Games, that promote links between Commonwealth countries