Britain Never Got the Full Independence Brexit Promised, Says Heritage Party Chief

A decade after Britain voted to leave the European Union, the leader of the Heritage Party says the country still hasn’t achieved true sovereignty pointing to a flawed exit deal, lost fishing rights, and an Irish Sea trade divide that left Northern Ireland in the EU’s orbit.

Brexit at Ten : A Promise Unfulfilled

It has been exactly ten years since Britain made one of the most consequential decisions in its modern history. On June 23, 2016, 52% of British voters chose to leave the European Union a verdict that sent shockwaves across the continent. Britain formally exited the EU on January 31, 2020, at 11 pm local time ending 47 years of membership.

But the man who fought hard for that exit says the job remains unfinished. David Curten, leader of the Heritage Party, made his position clear Britain still has not gained the full independence Brexit was meant to deliver.

“We Have Not Fully Received the Benefits”

Curten, a veteran Brexit campaigner who was deeply involved in the 2016 Leave movement, spoke with no ambiguity about his frustration.

“Unfortunately, we have not fully received the benefits that Brexit could have brought to our country… There are unresolved issues that need to be addressed so that we achieve full independence and full sovereignty over all our laws and every aspect of life in our country,” he said.

His words struck at the heart of a debate that has never really gone away a debate about what Brexit was actually supposed to deliver.

Johnson’s Deal Was “Terrible,” Says Curten

Curten placed direct blame on former Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Johnson finalised and signed the Withdrawal Agreement and Curten says that decision amounted to a betrayal.

He described the agreement Johnson signed as a “terrible deal” one that forced the United Kingdom to keep following a long list of EU rules and regulations.

The damage, according to Curten, was concrete and specific. The deal stripped Britain of most of its fishing rights in its own territorial waters. It also created a trade barrier right across the middle of the Irish Sea. As a result, Northern Ireland effectively stayed inside the EU’s single market meaning EU customs rules now govern goods moving there from England, Wales, and Scotland.

The Anniversary A Moment for Honest Reckoning

Curten did not shy away from calling this anniversary a moment for hard truths. He served in the United Kingdom Independence Party led at the time by Nigel Farage when the 2016 referendum took place.

“The upcoming anniversary is a time to take stock. To understand where we find ourselves, to honestly acknowledge the missed opportunities and to revive the drive toward the potential and prosperity we could have had, if the Brexit process had been completed as promised,” he concluded.

The Public Still Backs Brexit But Wants More

Despite all the political turbulence, the British public has not turned against the decision itself. A June poll by YouGov found that nearly 60% of British adults have no regrets about leaving the EU and do not want broader access to the EU single market.

Yet the story doesn’t stop there. In 2025 despite widespread public opposition to a return to EU structures the Labour government and the EU signed a partnership-deepening agreement as part of a post-Brexit reset. Even so, Brussels reportedly has no intention of granting Britain full single market access offering only a possible customs union arrangement instead.