London: Alistair Understands Brexit - Around the World | Kids Shows

Welcome to London, one of the oldest great cities. Seated on the Thames River in England, London has been a centre of commerce and government for almost a thousand years. Today, it's the capital of the United Kingdom, a place where representatives from England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland come to speak up for their constituents. With 9 million people and iconic sites recognised around the world, London is a destination for tourists, history lovers and many immigrants. In 1993, the European Union, or EU, was founded, with the UK as one of its first members. The EU is an alliance of European countries that share the same currency and let their citizens travel freely across their borders. But that membership comes at a price. It also means people in the UK have had to follow the EU's guidelines for business, taxes and even immigration. All this brings up a question. Is being an EU member really worth it? Should a country with a strong economy and a history of independence let other countries make its decisions? Finally, in June 2016, the British people voted on one question. Should the UK stay in the EU or leave the continent for good? Meet Alistair. He lives in West London with his parents, Jonathan and Lani. His grandmother, Rosemary, lives right down the road by the old clock tower. Alistair is excited because he just made the kite for his school's elite cricket team. Summer is here and he'll be busy with practice. Too busy to keep playing friendly games with his best friend, Manraj. Jonathan and Lani are proud of how hard Alistair worked to make the team. As owners of an export company, they know persistence when they see it. Jonathan loves running his own business, but it comes with many challenges. Because the UK is an EU member, his business is subject to EU rules, even when he's not shipping products to Europe. That means more paperwork and taxes. Fortunately, Lani helps and their company is doing well. When Alistair told his parents about the cricket team's membership fee, they were surprised but glad to pay it. Grandmother Rosemary is proud of Alistair too. Whenever he visits, she makes traditional English foods and shares stories from her past. Eventually, the conversation often turns to politics. Like Alistair's parents, Rosemary isn't fond of the UK's membership in the European Union. After all, she points out, the UK fought hard to liberate occupied countries in World War II. Shouldn't it have sovereignty of its own? Rosemary thinks a British exit from the EU would make Britain stronger and more prosperous. She's very hopeful for the upcoming referendum vote, when people across the UK will vote leave or remain. Another conversation topic is immigration. For decades, the immigrant families who came from former colonies like India and Pakistan adopted British customs as their own. They learned English and became citizens. But some of today's immigrants come with different expectations. As a member of the EU, the UK allows people to come from Europe and stay as long as they wish without becoming citizens. They can even get free services like healthcare and education. This makes Alistair wonder, how can the UK maintain its culture and traditions with unlimited new arrivals who don't want to adapt? He knows immigration is important, and that being British and adopting the customs doesn't mean being part of any particular race. Alistair's friend Minraj was born in the UK after his family came over from India. He's part of London's prominent Sikh community and is British through and through. Unlike grandmother Rosemary, most Londoners want the UK to remain in the EU. They enjoy the fact that travel between member countries is easy, with no troublesome visa requirements. By being a part of such a large group of co-operating nations, they believe that the UK holds a more powerful position in the world than it would on its own. They also point out that leaving the EU would disrupt the flow of goods, services and skilled people that membership has made easier. Such a huge change might harm the UK's economy. Alistair listens to both sides and considers their points carefully. The day of the big vote is here and Alistair cannot believe it. In a surprise upset, 52% of Britain's population voted to leave the EU. Brexit will be a reality. It's been a few months and school is starting. Alistair's history teacher, Mr Wiles, brings up Brexit on the very first day with a broad question. With benefits like travel, co-operation and direct access to a large trading area with its own bank and currency, why did 52% of British citizens vote to leave? After the many conversations with Munraj and his family, Alistair can think of a few reasons. Saving money. The UK spends billions of pounds per year on its EU membership fee. That's money that could be spent on infrastructure, defence and public services British people need. Fewer trade restrictions. Small businesses in the EU pay taxes and follow confusing guidelines or pay heavy fines. But with a British exit, businesses in the UK will deal directly with non-EU customers without the EU's permission. Waste and bureaucracy. The EU is its own separate government and not everyone in it is elected. By leaving, the UK stops contributing to an external governing body that may have other priorities or agendas unrelated to the United Kingdom's well-being. And national sovereignty. The UK wants full control over immigration, security and a visa system allowing people to stay and work. Leaving the EU is a vote of confidence in the UK's ability to govern and protect itself. Mr Wiles holds a class debate on the Brexit vote. When Alistair raises his hand and speaks up for Brexit, a few of his classmates agree. But everyone else gives him a solid glare and whispers, Brextremist. A month later, everyone is still talking about Brexit. People seem angry and they're splitting into leave or remain camps. Someone tore down the UK flag outside Jonathan and Lani's warehouse and graffitied Leave Voter on the walls. Even at cricket practice, Alistair gets bullied for supporting Brexit. He always practices hard and gives his very best. But with teammates mocking his views and forcing him to sit out, it looks like he might never take the field during a real game. This rejection hit hard, leaving Alistair unsure of what to do. Before the Brexit debate in history class, his teammates all liked him. Now, they rarely talk to him. Lately, Alistair has been having encouraging talks with Mr Wiles. Today, they're discussing England's long history of not being bossed around. And it's giving Alistair an idea of how to solve his cricket problem. One that fits right in with being British. With his cricket bat in hand, Alistair finally takes the field during a match. But not for his school's elite cricket team. Instead, he's playing on a newly formed club team with Munraj and several other Sikh kids. Jonathan, Lani and Rosemary are cheering from the stands. When Alistair announced he was quitting the school's cricket team, they were shocked. But when he compared the fancy team with its expensive fees to the European Union, they couldn't help but smile. By changing teams, Alistair is getting what he really wanted. The chance to play cricket with his best friend. After the match, Alistair joins his family. He wasn't sure how grandmother Rosemary would feel about his scrappy new club team. But she is beaming with pride. She invites everyone back to her flat to celebrate, including Munraj and his family. As they share tea and biscuits, the two families bond over many topics. From sports, to food, to patriotism. When the conversation turns to Brexit, Rosemary raises a toast. To the UK! Alistair smiles. For his family, the new club team and the entire country. A new journey is beginning.