Lede
Brexit was sold as freedom. For most people it feels like less of it.
What does not make sense
- We traded the right to live, work and study across Europe for ninety-day tourism and a queue at the visa window. That is not freedom, it is paperwork.
- We were told the economy would surge. The fiscal watchdog still expects productivity to be around four percent lower in the long run than if we had stayed, and trade has not recovered like our G7 peers. That drags on pay and choice.
- We hear that prices are high because of everything except policy. Yet independent research links higher non-tariff barriers after Brexit to higher food prices. Households feel that every shop.
- We were promised better jobs. Instead, sectors with shortages stitched together visa schemes that leave many migrants tied to bosses and at risk. Even government reviews flag exploitation concerns on the Seasonal Worker route. That is not dignity.
The numbers to keep in your head
- Freedom of movement ended on 31 December 2020. UK citizens lost the automatic right to live and work across the EU. Stays beyond 90 days typically need a visa and most work needs a permit.
- Productivity hit of about 4 percent in the long run. That is the Office for Budget Responsibility’s standing view, echoed by weaker investment and trade intensity that still lags the rest of the G7.
- Food got dearer because borders got thicker. The LSE’s updated studies find Brexit-related trade frictions raised food prices.
- Exploitation risks rose where visas tie workers to employers. The government’s own Seasonal Worker review cites reports of forced labour and modern slavery risks.
Who pays
Not the people who wrote the slogans. It is families counting coins at the till. Small firms drowning in forms. Young Brits who cannot just move to Barcelona or Berlin for a year to learn, work and live. It is migrants who pick our food and care for our elders while carrying the debt of a recruitment fee and the threat of losing status if they complain.
What action looks like
- Tell the truth in plain English about the costs and the choices.
- Cut red tape where it actually bites, not where it makes a good line.
- Strengthen enforcement so workers on any visa can change employer without fear, and ban recruitment fees that trap people in debt.
- Rebuild practical mobility for study, training and early careers so freedom means more than a flag on a podium.
The Hermit take
Freedom is not a sticker you slap on a policy. It is the real ability to move, to work, to live with dignity and to buy food without a wince. On that score, Brexit shrank freedom. Fewer doors open, more forms, higher bills.
Keep or toss
Toss the slogans. Keep the fixes that give people back real choices.
Sources
UK Parliament Commons Library – After Brexit: Visiting, working, and living in the EU (updated 6 Aug 2025): https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cbp-9157/
EU – Residence and travel rights for UK nationals after Brexit (90/180 rule, work permits): https://europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/residence/residence-rights/brexit-residence-rights/index_en.htm
Office for Budget Responsibility – Brexit analysis (long-run productivity ~4% lower): https://obr.uk/forecasts-in-depth/the-economy-forecast/brexit-analysis/
Office for Budget Responsibility – Brexit trade forecast assumptions (G7 trade comparisons): https://obr.uk/box/how-are-our-brexit-trade-forecast-assumptions-performing/
LSE Centre for Economic Performance – Brexit and consumer food prices: 2023 update (PDF): https://cep.lse.ac.uk/pubs/download/brexit18.pdf
LSE CEP – Non-tariff barriers and consumer prices: evidence from Brexit (DP1888, PDF): https://cep.lse.ac.uk/pubs/download/dp1888.pdf
UK Government – Review of the Seasonal Worker visa (16 Jul 2024): https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/seasonal-worker-visa-review/review-of-the-seasonal-worker-visa-accessible
UK Parliament Public Accounts Committee – Visa changes and exploitation risks (4 Jul 2025): https://committees.parliament.uk/committee/127/public-accounts-committee/news/208184/govt-visa-changes-lost-sight-of-risk-of-exploitation-of-migrant-workers-pac-report-finds/
Optional extras
OECD – Economic Survey: United Kingdom 2024 (trade intensity, PDF): https://www.oecd.org/content/dam/oecd/en/publications/reports/2024/09/oecd-economic-surveys-united-kingdom-2024_82b39666/709e70b8-en.pdf
House of Commons Library – Trade in goods and services: indicators (regular updates): https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/sn02815/