Brexit: A Guide for the Perplexed

By BBC Radio 4

What's Brexit: A Guide for the Perplexed about?

As the UK prepares to begin leaving the EU, what are the key deals to be done? Chris Morris cuts through the jargon to discover how everyone's lives could change.

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Brexit: A Guide for the Perplexed episodes:

06.23.2023
Science
Science became an unlikely battleground in the Brexit negotiations, which meant the UK was cut off from the billions of euros provided by the EU’s Horizon programme. Britain’s access to European satellites was also restricted. Adam Fleming asks how the...
06.21.2023
Services
Brexit has made it trickier for UK lawyers and architects who want to work in Europe, even musicians have to fill in customs paperwork when they go on tour. So why has the service sector seemed to boom since...
06.20.2023
Movement of People
The free movement of people from the EU has ended, but immigration has reached record levels. Former Brussels correspondent, Adam Fleming, charts how Britain’s workplaces and universities have changed as a result of Brexit, and learns from seasonal workers...
06.19.2023
Trade in Goods
Former Brussels correspondent Adam Fleming explores how businesses have adapted to new trade rules, three years after the UK left the EU. He finds out why allergy-friendly nutrition bars are being sold to Australia and the Middle East instead...
02.08.2019
Destinations
Where might Brexit be taking the UK? Chris Morris takes a look beyond the daily news frenzy. As well as the withdrawal agreement currently being negotiated, there are much bigger questions now in play. What sort of economy, society and...
02.07.2019
Security
Britain's EU membership has shaped the way its security agencies and police co-operate with counterparts across Europe. Chris Morris discovers how Brexit might affect this. How far will co-operation continue as before, especially in key fields such as counter-terrorism? Will...
02.06.2019
Settled Status
Could hundreds of thousands of EU citizens find themselves living in Britain illegally after Brexit? Free movement is one of the key aspects of the European Union's single market. It means that anyone from any of the other 27 EU...
02.05.2019
Irish border
Hardly mentioned during the referendum campaign, the question of a hard border in Ireland has become crucial in the Brexit process. Chris Morris discovers how economics, politics and history all play a role in making this border so sensitive...
02.04.2019
Complexity
All the Brexit political noise leaves many asking - why has all this proved so tricky and taken so long? Continuing the series that's followed the twists, turns and quirkier moments in the Brexit saga, Chris Morris discovers what's really...
02.23.2018
Status Quo
The UK will formally leave the EU next year. But much of the current negotiation is about a 'transition' or 'implementation' phase which could last years. Chris Morris discovers what will actually change on 'Brexit Day' 2019, and why so...
02.22.2018
Brexit's Most Vulnerable
So much emphasis in the Brexit debate has been on financial services and the City of London. But Chris Morris in the Midlands discovers a largely hidden story - of a region and an economy where much more is at...
02.21.2018
Gibraltar
Far away from the main Brexit negotiations in London and Brussels are the British Overseas Territories. Dots on the global map whose people may be strongly affected - and who are struggling to make their voices heard. Chris Morris travels...
02.20.2018
Food
Brexit and food - Chris Morris discovers what leaving the EU could mean for the British baked potato. How might Brexit affect the food we buy, and what it might cost? And why could post Brexit food fights break out...
02.19.2018
Medicines
Brexit will mark a major change in how medicines and medical research is regulated in the UK. That could affect everything from the supply of medicine to what kind of research is done. Chris Morris explores the anxieties and opportunities...
11.10.2017
Where are we heading?
How long will Brexit take? Could it happen suddenly, might it take many years, maybe never end? With all kinds of outcomes and transitions being discussed, Chris Morris asks whether we now know where the Brexit journey could take us...
11.09.2017
Brexit and Ireland
What will Brexit mean for Ireland? It could affect much more than just the border. Chris Morris visits Dublin and discovers the implications for the rich and complex British-Irish relationship. Producer: Chris Bowlby Editor: Hugh Levinson.
11.08.2017
Nuclear Confusion
The European atomic energy community, Euratom, deals with the peaceful use of nuclear energy. It's not technically part of the EU. So why is Britain leaving it - and what are the implications of the decision to leave? We hear...
11.07.2017
Immigration
Return of the series that explains - in surprising ways - what's really at stake with Brexit. Immigration was a big referendum issue. With free movement from the EU set to come to an end, the UK will need an...
11.06.2017
Take Back Control?
Return of the series that explains what is really at stake with Brexit. Chris Morris begins by discovering who could be in control when the final deal is done.
02.17.2017
Donald Trump and Brexit
What might Donald Trump mean for Brexit? Will the new US President offer Britain a vital new ally as it leaves the EU? Or will the president's attitudes towards Europe complicate the Brexit process - and trade pose problems for...
02.16.2017
Is the City's goose cooked?
Will the City of London - Britain's golden goose - have its wings clipped by Brexit? Chris Morris discovers a financial fairy tale surrounding a vital question. Many EU countries say they hope to win some of the City's lucrative...
02.15.2017
Can Scotland do Brexit differently?
The Scottish government says it wants to stay closer to the EU than England after Brexit. What could this mean in practice? Chris Morris investigates - with the help of a glass of claret, a fishing excursion and a brain-stretching...
02.14.2017
Could Brexit change our travel plans?
When the UK leaves the EU, will travel to and from Europe change? Will low-cost airlines find it more expensive to do business and pass on the costs to us? Will we have to factor in the cost of a...
02.14.2017
Bonfire of the regulations?
After Brexit, what happens to all those EU rules and regulations? Chris Morris discovers how Britain will face will undergo an extraordinary legal revolution. Many of the country's laws will be rewritten, and all kinds of new agencies created to...
02.14.2017
What about EU subsidies?
Chris Morris takes a road trip through Cornwall to find out if Brexit would mean the loss of nearly half a billion pounds in subsidies, and if so, how the region would cope. Cornwall is one of the poorest areas...
02.14.2017
The Cliff Edge
Could Brexit send UK trade off a cliff edge? Chris Morris discovers what's at stake as the UK extracts itself from the EU. What if there's no deal on new trade arrangements when Brexit happens? Producers: Shabnam Grewal and Chris...
02.14.2017
What if you're living on the 'wrong side' of the Channel?
How could things change for British expats and EU nationals in the UK after Brexit? Chris Morris meets a community worker who advises Poles living in Britain and takes part in a radio phone-in on a station which broadcasts to...
02.14.2017
The cost of the divorce
How much will it cost the UK to leave the European Union? Chris Morris investigates with the help of a top divorce lawyer and an expert on the financial facts. He draws up a list of assets to be divvied...
02.14.2017
Who are we negotiating with?
When the UK negotiates Brexit, who will be on the other side of the table? The answer's complex. Chris Morris reports on the complicated range of interests on the EU side who will have a say in settling a deal...

What's Brexit: A Guide for the Perplexed about?

Download our free app to listen on your phone

Brexit: A Guide for the Perplexed episodes:

Science

Services

Movement of People

Trade in Goods

Destinations

Security

Settled Status

Irish border

Complexity

Status Quo

Brexit's Most Vulnerable

Gibraltar

Food

Medicines

Where are we heading?

Brexit and Ireland

Nuclear Confusion

Immigration

Take Back Control?

Donald Trump and Brexit

Is the City's goose cooked?

Can Scotland do Brexit differently?

Could Brexit change our travel plans?

Bonfire of the regulations?

What about EU subsidies?

The Cliff Edge

What if you're living on the 'wrong side' of the Channel?

The cost of the divorce

Who are we negotiating with?

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