The Building of The Empire

Many countries in the world have shaped their democratic political system on the British
model of the bicameral system with Lower House and Upper House. More than fifty countries
keep very close ties with Britain – The Commonwealth -, acknowledging the Queen as symbolic
head in some of these states the British monarch is also the head of the state. The enormous
influence on British culture, traditions, and values in all walks of life can only be understood
when one looks at the country’s colonial history over the past 400 years. At one time Britain’s
realm, the settlements and colonial dependencies under British rule, covered one-fifth of the
globe. The name which was given to these territories was: the British Empire.

The First Empire

In the 17th and 18th centuries British navigators and settlers colonized new territories in all parts
of the world. The Pilgrim Fathers, radical Puritans fleeing from religious persecution, sailed on
board the Mayflower from Plymouth (England) to the New World and founded colonies across
the ocean. Influential merchants in the City of London formed trading companies such as the
east India Company (founded in 1660) and the Virginia Company (1606), which had a
significant a significant influence on the newly emerging Asia and American colonies. The
Hudson’s Bay Company, to seek a north-west passage to the pacific, became of major
importance for the development of Canada.

The driving forces behind the building of the first empire were Britain’s commercial and military
interests. The colonies had double function: on the one hand, they were exploited as sources of
raw materials and on the other hand as markets for manufactured goods. From their colonies the
Britons imported raw materials such as hides, oils, dyes, jute and cotton. In England, cotton was
formed into cloth which was then sold at a higher price on the Continent and in the colonies. As
all trade had to be conducted by means of English ships, the British were absolutely in control.

Britain founded ports all over the world in regards for the protection of her merchant ships. On
the African continent, Sierra Leone became the earliest colony and was used in the slave trade
between Africa and America. The trading companies were highly influential and enjoyed many
privileges. A protest against the monopoly of the East India Company and a tax on tea led to the
Boston Tea Party in 1773. This demonstration encouraged the independence movement in the
New World and eventually resulted in the Declaration of Independence and the American
Revolution.

The American Revolution led to the separation of the American colonies from the British crown
and marks the end of the first British Empire.
The Second Empire

Began towards the end of the 18th century when Captain Cook discovered New Zealand (1769)
and Australia (1770). Convicts from England were shipped to Australia as a punishment.

After losing territories in North America, Britain tried to compensate this loss by the acquisition
of land and territories on the eastern half of the globe. The East India Company extended its
activities in Asia, bringing more and more colonies and territories under British control. The
British had learnt their American lessom: Whereas in the 17th and 18th centuries they had
concentrated on trade and military strategy alone, they now became more attentive to exerting
their political influence and administrating the colonies and territories. To this end, the Colonial
Office was created in 1801 which sent British civil servants to all parts of the world to impose
British institutions and methods of government, thus making sure that British interests were not
neglected.

As a result of Britain’s new imperial policy, the 19th century saw the British Empire at the peak
of its wealth and power. Queen Victoria, became the popular symbol of Britain’s success in the
world. By the beginning of World War I in 1914, Great Britain ruled over many parts of
America, Africa, Asia, and Australia and was regarded as the richest nation on earth. The Empire
covered about one fifth of the surface of the world and compromised about 450 million people, a
quarter of the world’s population.

However, near the end of the 19th and the beginning of 20th century the desire for independence
became stronger than ever in many parts of the British Empire. Canada was the first country to
show signs of unrest but now the British reacted more wisely than at the times of separation of
the North American colonies. In order to avoid similar loss the British gave Canada Dominion
Status which means the Canadians were granted home rule to decide their interior affairs
themselves. Very soon Australia, New Zealand and the Union of South Africa followed. After
WWI these four domionons gained their full independence but kept close political links to the
British Crown, and then The British Commonwealth was born. The downfall of the second
British Empire was when India gained their independence in 1947.

Diverging Views on the British Empire

Britain’s colonial policy and its ruling over great parts of the world can be seen from two
different points of view. On one hand, critics point to the negative sides of the building of the
Empire. They argue with the enforcement of British rules and regulations, with introduction of
English as the official language in education and administration in all British territories the rulers
destroyed many different cultures and traditions of the native people. Britain’s unrivalled
supremacy led many British people in the colonies to believe in the superiority of the British
nation in particular and that of the white race in general. Seeing themselves as the undisputed
lords of the world, many Britons looked down and even despised the Native, often black
populations. On the other side, Britain’s impact on the world has been enormous: British sport
and culture, parliamentary system and law, ideas and inventions have been exported world-wide.
British rule also brought safety and freedom to many countries around the globe. The British
introduced a fairer jurisdiction to keep law and order in the country. They built schools and
hospitals in order to make education and medical care are reachable to the poorer section of the
society. It is fair to say that the British paved the way to progress for many nations in many
respects.

As we all know, English language is no longer associated with colonial dominance. It is the
mother tounge for more than 350 million people and the most taught foreign language. This
results to English being the world’s lingua frantica, the common language enabling the world to
communicate.

The legacy of the Empire is still alive. In order to understand British positions and views of the
world today and above all, Britain’s Euro sceptism has to take into consideration the three and
more hundred years of the creation of the largest empire of all times.

Britain profited politically and economically from its colonial past but at the same time has to
bear a heavy burden today. Because of its colonial past Britain is not only confronted with
conflicts abroad but also at home. The increasing numbers of immigrants from former British
colonies have turned United Kingdom into a multi-cultural society in which racial tension and
resentments against minorities are present.

BREXIT: EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW, BRIEFLY.

Why is Britain leaving the European Union?

A referendum - a vote in which everyone (or nearly everyone) of voting age can take part - was
held on Thursday 23 June, 2016, to decide whether the UK should leave or remain in the
European Union. Leave won by 51.9% to 48.1%. The referendum turnout was 71.8%, with more
than 30 million people voting.

When is the UK due to leave the EU?

The UK had been due to leave on 29 March 2019, two years after it started the exit process by
invoking Article 50 of the EU's Lisbon Treaty. But the withdrawal agreement reached between
the EU and UK has been rejected three times by UK MPs.
Having granted an initial extension of the Article 50 process until 12 April 2019, EU leaders
have now backed a six-month extension until 31 October 2019. However, the UK will leave
before this date if the withdrawal agreement is ratified by the UK and the EU before then.

So is Brexit definitely happening?

As things stand, the UK is due to leave the European Union at 23:00 GMT on 31 October 2019.
If the UK and EU ratify the withdrawal agreement before then, the UK will leave on the first day
of the following month.

But could Brexit be cancelled?

Yes. Stopping Brexit would require a change in the law in the UK, something neither the
government nor the main UK opposition parties want to do at this point. The European Court of
Justice ruled on 10 December 2018 that the UK could cancel the Article 50 Brexit process
without the permission of the other 27 EU members, and remain a member of the EU on its
existing terms, provided the decision followed a "democratic process", in other words, if
Parliament voted for it. In March, an online petition calling for Article 50 to be revoked gained
over six million signatures.

Could Brexit be delayed?

Theresa May has said she wants the UK to leave the EU as soon as possible, if possible by 22
May, so the UK will not have to take part in the European Parliament elections taking place
across Europe that month. The EU has said the Brexit process should not be extended again
beyond 31 October 2019, but legally speaking another extension could happen if all EU
countries, including the UK, agree to it.

What is in Theresa May's deal with the EU?

After months of negotiation, the UK and EU agreed a Brexit deal. It comes in two parts.

A 585-page withdrawal agreement. This is a legally-binding text that sets the terms of the UK's
divorce from the EU. It covers how much money the UK owes the EU - an estimated £39bn -
and what happens to UK citizens living elsewhere in the EU and EU citizens living in the UK. It
also proposes a method of avoiding the return of a physical Northern Ireland border.

A 26-page statement on future relations. This is not legally-binding and sketches out the kind
of long-term relationship the UK and EU want to have in a range of areas, including trade,
defence and security.
What is the transition period?

This is part of the withdrawal agreement, which so far, has not been approved by MPs. It refers
to a period of time after Brexit until 31 December, 2020 (or possibly later), to get everything in
place and allow businesses and others to prepare for the moment when the new post-Brexit rules
between the UK and the EU begin. It would also allow more time for the details of the new
relationship to be fully hammered out. Free movement would continue during the transition
period, as the EU wanted. The UK would be able to strike its own trade deals - although they
wouldn't be able to come into force until 1 January 2021. But it all rests on the withdrawal deal
being ratified.

Could we leave without a deal?

Yes. This is the so-called no-deal Brexit.

What would happen if the UK left without a deal?

The UK would sever all ties with the EU with immediate effect, with no transition period and no
guarantees on citizens' rights of residence. The government fears this would cause significant
disruption to businesses in the short-term, with lengthy tailbacks of lorries at the channel ports,
as drivers face new checks on their cargos. Food retailers have warned of shortages of fresh
produce and the NHS is stockpiling medicines, in case supplies from EU countries are
interrupted. Government ministers and multinational companies with factories in the UK have
also warned about the long-term impact on the British economy. Brexit-supporting MPs claim it
would not be as bad as they say and the UK would save on the £39bn divorce bill, as well as
being free to strike its own beneficial trade deals around the world.

Would trade with the EU continue?

The World Trade Organization sets rules for countries that don't have free trade deals with each
other, including tariffs - the taxes charged on the import of goods. Without an agreement on
trade, the UK would trade with the EU under World Trade Organization rules.