Brexit a sytuacja ekonomiczna Wielkiej Brytanii
On 23th June, 2016, British voters decided in a referendum to cut long-term relationship with the European Union. The aim of a paper is to present the impact of UK’s Brexit vote on the British economy. The paper depicts review of international scientific literature and economic press concerning the vast range of issues affected by Brexit. It has been shown that the British referendum outcome caused the growth of uncertainty about economy of the United Kingdom. Economic Policy Uncertainty Index reached British record-high levels in post-referendum period. Growing economic and financial uncertainty had negative effects on British economic activity. The paper presents the impact of the referendum on British currency, fundamental macroeconomic indicators, economic activity in manufacturing, and public finance. It has been shown that, in post-referendum period, the pound sterling plunged the depths it had reached after the speculative attack on pound sterling led by George Soros in 1992, after invasion of Iraq in 2003 and during financial crisis in 2008-2009. British referendum outcome contributed also to inflation rate increase and GDP growth rate decrease. Thus, the United Kingdom decided to implement more expansionary monetary policy by cutting interest rates and increasing quantitative easing. As a result of the referendum, the level of economic activity in the manufacturing sector went shortly down. Britain’s vote to leave the EU had also a negative impact on British public finances. The forecasted general government deficit in 2017 increased by more than 30 percent. Chancellor of the Exchequer was forced to abandon the ambitious goal of eliminating the negative balance by fiscal year 2019–2020.