A celebration in central (Image: Getty)
As Britain marks the fifth anniversary of its departure from the , a committed Brexiteer has taken to social media to share what he sees as at least 75 benefits of leaving.
Britain quit the bloc on January 31, 2020, ending a turbulent four-year period which followed the 2016 referendum – but the debate has raged on ever since, not least in the comments section of the thread he has posted on X.
Doubtless exasperated by the naysayers, X user Gully Foyle – not his real name – has painstakingly compiled a list which focuses on wins ranging from defence to fishing, financial services to freedom from the clutches of the .
Arguing that the decision to exit the bloc has allowed the UK to reclaim its sovereignty and enjoy a range of advantages which have gone underreported, he told Express.co.uk: “For me and I think the majority of Leave voters, the chief benefit was and still is being the masters of our own destiny.
“It has been clear for decades now that the ultimate trajectory of the EU was one of ‘ever closer union’ and the removal of vetoes, to a point where Brussels was making most of the decisions.”
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Gully believes that sovereignty remains the fundamental issue, even if some in the UK fail to grasp its importance.
He explained: “I might like the family that lives next door, but I don’t want them in charge of what furniture I can have in my house, and what time I go to bed.”
Beyond the principle of national independence, Gully highlights tangible economic benefits. He points to an analysis by the London School of Economics, published in December 2024, which estimated that the hit to UK goods exports in the first two years of was just £27 billion.
He said: “That is far less than the overall cost of membership would have been for those two years combined,” countering claims that has damaged trade.
Gully also believes Animal welfare is another area where has had a positive impact, declaring: “The EU is the largest producer of shark fins for the Asia-Pacific market.
“That also means the EU is one of the worst offenders for catching and de-finning sharks and leaving them to die. Leaving the EU allowed the UK to close the loopholes in EU legislation, so the UK is no longer a part of that industry.”
Freedom from EU rules made it easier to protect Britain’s puffin population, says Gully Foyle (Image: Getty)
Additionally, he cites improvements to laws preventing illegal puppy breeding and smuggling, recognition of animal sentience, and the banning of sandeel fishing in the North Sea to protect puffins.
On domestic regulations, Gully lists various benefits for motorists.
He continued: “Your readers may not be aware that they can now tow a trailer on their car without having to take an additional driving test. Car insurance is cheaper because insurers no longer have to cover the use of ride-on lawnmowers.
“And we have avoided the mandatory enabling of driver assist systems like lane assist, which in some cars causes more problems than it solves.”
Despite his optimism, Gully remains deeply concerned about the direction Labour might take under Sir , who has been clear about his plan to “reset” relation s with Brussels.
He said: “I do worry very much about what Keir and the Labour Party will do. They have made no secret of the fact that they believe the EU to be superior to the UK, and as Keir is famous for, seem to never miss an opportunity to take a knee.”
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Labour Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer (Image: Getty)
He warns that some of Labour’s key policies, including taxation on private schools and renationalisation of rail services, could be jeopardised by any move towards closer EU alignment. “Their adding of tax on private school fees, for example, is illegal in the EU. Their plans for renationalisation of the rail companies would not be allowed as intended in the EU.”
The biggest risk, in his view, is the potential for so-called ‘dynamic alignment’ with EU regulations. “The alignment is only one way. The EU sets the rules, and the UK follows them. If we are going to follow EU rules anyway, without any say in them, then the whole exercise and years of struggle will be for nothing.”
When asked if is now a completed process, he is clear that, in his view, it remains unfinished business. ” was only the first step. entered the talks with both his hands tied behind his back – one by Theresa May, the other by the traitorous actions of Parliament.
“So the terms agreed on Northern Ireland, for example, have left the action of leaving the EU unfinished in many people’s minds.”
However, he also acknowledged that the UK has at least severed ties with the bloc.
He said: “From that perspective, is done. But the fact that our Parliament and our Civil Service were and still are so desiring to be subservient to others is a massive issue, and that rot needs to be torn out. I have zero faith in Labour conducting that ‘draining of the swamp,’ but it needs to happen nonetheless.”
?????? 75 Brexit Benefits – Mega Thread ??????I have collated 75 tangible , fully evidenced and demonstrably true.Some may not like that they exist – but facts just don’t care about their opinions at all.⬇️Scroll down to see this epic list ⬇️
— Gully Foyle #UKTrade (@TerraOrBust)
As for the ongoing push from some quarters to rejoin the EU, he is unconcerned.
He said: “The pollster Omnisis conducted weekly voter intention polls from around November 2022 until late last year, asking if people wanted to rejoin the EU. They got a majority for rejoin. But then they asked those same people in a follow-up question whether they would still want to rejoin if they had to accept the Euro. In 100% of the polls, the majority shifted to staying out. Every single time.”
Any future re-entry would come with unavoidable conditions, he argues, including joining the Schengen area and accepting the EU Migration Pact, making another referendum unlikely to succeed.
He saidL “The very idea that we should want to rejoin a bloc where an investigation in 2024 found that one in four EU MEPs was either under investigation or had already been found guilty of fraud, sexual harassment, bribery – it beggars belief.”
Despite his list of 75 benefits, Gully insists there are even more to come.
He explained: “I have another 30 or so benefits on my desk waiting for the bandwidth to fully research and verify, so I have not published them yet. As my follower base increases, more people reach out and tell me about more that affect them and their lives, adding to the to-do list.”
He remains confident that even with a Labour government in power, the case for will continue to grow stronger. “I fully expect to be publishing a top 100 later this year, as even with a Labour government, they just keep coming.”