British Politics and Brexit 101

The United Kingdom’s 2016 referendum on European Union membership ended with the shock decision to exit the EU and started the leaving process that has come to be known as Brexit. After over 40 years of membership and integration, this decision has had profound effects not just in terms of Britain’s relationship with Europe and the wider world, but also within British politics and society. The referendum results exposed deep fissures within the United Kingdom and led to profound political realignments, with the Brexit issue likely to shape Britain for decades to come. Once considered a bastion of stability, Brexit has instead illustrated the United Kingdom as a nation in flux and undergoing a deep crisis of politics and identity. This 101 series will first investigate the reasons behind the decision to leave the European Union, before analysing the effects that Brexit has had on British domestic politics. British Politics and Brexit 101 is divided into six different chapters:

1. British Politics and Brexit 101: Before the Referendum – A Public Wedded to Brexit?

2. British Politics and Brexit 101: The Referendum Campaign – A Question of Europe?

3. British Politics and Brexit 101: The Fallout – Britain Divided

4. British Politics and Brexit 101: The Disunited Kingdom – Brexit and the Nations

5. British Politics and Brexit 101: Political Realignment

6. British Politics and Brexit 101: A Country in Crisis – The Future