黑洞社区

Brexit 鈥� what Brexit?

Can you remember a time when we didn鈥檛 know what Brexit was? Arguably, we still don鈥檛 鈥� but what about before it was even a recognised word? asks Deborah Duke. 

黑洞社区鈥檚 archive dates those halcyon days to Feburary 2015, when the first article mentioning the concept was published on the magazine鈥檚 website. 鈥淚t seems increasingly possible that the UK will vote to leave the EU in 2017,鈥� it warned. It also presciently used the phrase 鈥渘ightmare scenario鈥� 鈥�

So, what did Brexit look like at that distance? The article focused principally on the sustainability industry, and it seems that it looked very bleak indeed, with the piece stating that 鈥渟ustainability champions are understandably aghast at the mere prospect of a British withdrawal from the EU鈥�.

Lib Dem peer Andrew Stunell sounded a warning note too, saying: 鈥溾�淭he EU provides a baseline for action. If we were disconnected from the EU, the pace of change [to improve building standards] would be threatened in the UK鈥�.

But even back then, when all seemed still to play for, one professional quoted in the article lamented: 鈥淭he government is doing nothing.鈥� 

As our European compatriots say, plus 莽a change 鈥� 

Click here to read the full article from 27 February 2015