# FILE NAME: 00000772.soc
# TITLE: Are the benefits of Brexit going to outweigh the costs? [c97ca5866e141a563ac991d4df03239c]
# DESCRIPTION: 
# DATA TYPE: soc
# MODIFICATION TYPE: original
# RELATES TO: 
# RELATED FILES: 
# PUBLICATION DATE: 2025-10-12
# MODIFICATION DATE: 2025-10-12
# NUMBER ALTERNATIVES: 4
# NUMBER VOTERS: 5
# NUMBER UNIQUE ORDERS: 4
# ALTERNATIVE NAME 1: Statement 1 - Although there are some potential benefits of Brexit, the costs are currently outweighing the benefits.  There is a feeling that the costs will continue to outweigh the benefits until the process is completed and the dust has settled.  It was felt that the process will take a number of years and it will be difficult to know whether Brexit was a good idea or not until then.  There is also a feeling that it is a very divisive issue and that people will not agree on whether it was a good idea or not.
# ALTERNATIVE NAME 2: Statement 2 - Brexit was not the right decision and the benefits will not outweigh the costs. In particular, the participants were very concerned with the immediate changes the man on the street can see. They all felt that Brexit was supposed to firm up the borders, and that has not happened.  It has instead drastically delayed passengers and cargo on either side of the Channel, and pulled any easy free trade and cooperation away from many firms.  It was supposed to allow us to reduce the cost the European project was demanding of us, and no benefit has been seen there.  It was supposed to allow us our own human rights laws without the pressure of European ideas, and no change has been made on that front at all.  The benefits - of not spending money on developing Eastern European countries, and having a hard border as regards boat people - have not started to happen.
# ALTERNATIVE NAME 3: Statement 3 - In general, the group felt that the costs of Brexit are going to outweigh the benefits. The group felt that it is going to be very difficult for the UK to negotiate new trade deals that will be better than what it had in the EU, especially as the EU has said that it will not give any special deals to the UK. The group also felt that the UK will not be able to reduce immigration to the levels it wants because there are many industries that rely on immigrants. The group also felt that the UK is going to lose a lot of influence in the world and that the UK will lose access to a lot of valuable data and information that is available to EU member states.
# ALTERNATIVE NAME 4: Statement 4 - In the short term, the costs of Brexit have outweighed the benefits.  The long term costs and benefits are hard to predict.  The biggest costs have been a slowdown in the economy, a skills shortage and an increase in the cost of living.  The biggest benefit has been an increase in the number of people who want to immigrate to the UK.  This is likely to be a short term benefit, and in the long term the increase in immigration is likely to be a cost.  It is likely that in the long term the costs and benefits will balance out, and it will not be possible to say whether Brexit was a good or bad thing.
2: 2,4,3,1
1: 2,1,4,3
1: 1,4,3,2
1: 3,2,4,1