Brexit

Out of nowhere British voters strike back.
But against what, exactly?

Caught between a collapsing Soviet empire and western alliances adjusting to a new world order, Yugoslavia goes up in flames.

It gave the world a new word form (Brexit, Frexit, Megixt etc.), which for a while was adapted for other countries within the European Union whenever voter dissatisfaction appeared to rise. Exiting, or dissolution was, for a while, apparently all the rage.

That possible super-crisis didn't last long, however, leaving Brexit, years after the United Kingdom EU referendum result, to stand alone in international popular culture.

In the United Kingdom, Brexit tore apart politics and relationships. It disrupted the economy (though not as much as some feared) and shone a light on the reality of British society. Brexit also shook the EU as a structure, as well as a liberal idea.

Its historical reach will only be revealed (slightly inevitably) as the years and associated events pass, and once we can all finally stop talking (and bickering) about Brexit.

Timeline

From European Union to British dissent

ALL DATES

Articles

The sound and the fury

Players

Has a political & constitutional crisis ever been so driven by the personalities and players involved? (Possibly not)

David Cameron

British Prime Minister between 2010 (as the head of a coalition government with the Liberal Democrats) and between 2015 until his resignation from office following the UK EU referendum result in 2016. Cameron leads the 2016 Remain referendum campaign, calling for Great Britain to remain a member of the EU, based on a settlement he negotiates with it.

A personal defeat and an exit from office follows.

Gina Miller

Guyanese-British business owner, activist and liberal media darling, Miller starts the 2016 'R v Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union' court case against the British government questioning its authority to implement Brexit without Parliamentary approval.

Further legal action(s) follow, as Miller becomes a 'lawfare' champion in the battle between Leave and Remain.

Not seen in the UK media since Johnson assumed his premiership.

Theresa May

Long-serving British Home Secretary and (slightly elusive) Remain campaigner during the 2016 UK EU referendum campaign.

May goes on to become Prime Minister, following the resignation of David Cameron, on a mission to take the UK out of the EU with a compromise deal.

The first part of this is a Withdrawal Agreement, which nobody likes much, but which comes back (sort of) under Boris Johnson's leadership. A closer post-Brexit closer union with the EU is never realised under May's leadership.

Boris Johnson

A key figure in the British Conservative & Unionist Party before the UK EU referendum (and then in the Leave campaign after a short period of initial hesitation), Johnson serves as Foreign Secretary under Theresa May and then as Prime Minister.

Johnson also dedicates himself to leaving the EU with or without a deal (and to saving the Conservative & Unionist Party in the process).

The man who could, etc.

John Bercow

Controversial and provocative (to Leave supporters), though also iconic (to Remain supporters) Speaker of the House of Commons post-Brexit. Bercow assumes a crucial role in the struggle between Leave and Remain supporters in the UK House of Commons, as well as in the international media, accumulating a growing amount of power in British politics during the struggle over Brexit until the Johnson premiership the UK general election of 2019.

Not seen in the UK media since Johnson assumed his premiership.

Nigel Farage

Leader of UKiP, during which time he grows the party into a formidable political force, then leader of the Brexit Party, Farage proves himself to be a combative and energising political campaigner and an inspiration to those voters looking for an alternative to the political status quo.

A thorn in the side of David Cameron, Theresa May, the European Union and the BBC (amongst many others).

Love him or loathe him, etc.

Secondary Factors

Influencing events & outcomes

Treaties

1952

Treaty of Paris

The Treaty of Paris is signed between France, West Germany, Italy and the three Benelux countries.

It establishes the European Coal and Steel Community (which is viewed as being vital to prevent future war in Europe as these materials are militarily crucial) for the signatories, which subsequently goes on to become a crucial part of the European Union.

1958

Treaty of Rome

One of two treaties forming the constitutional basis of the EU, the other being the Treaty on European Union.

The Treaty of Rome brings about the creation of the European Economic Community (more commonly known as the Common Market), a regional organisation that aims to establish economic integration among its member states.

1999

Treaty of Amsterdam

Establishes the European Communities and makes changes to the Treaty of Maastricht.

Its signatories agree to transfer certain powers from national governments to the European Parliament (on immigration, civil and criminal laws and foreign and security policy), as well as implementing policies to allow institutional for further EU expansion.

Politics

2010

The UK general election

returns a hung parliament

In the 2010 general election, none of the parties achieves an overall majority. David Cameron's Conservative Party finds itself 20 seats short of a majority and a coalition government is formed between the Conservative Party and Liberal Democrats.

Out of this comes the Fixed Term Parliament Act which becomes a key factor in the parliamentary power struggles that follow.

2015

Jeremy Corbyn is (unexpectedly) elected

Labour Leader

The 2015 Labour Party leadership election is won by Jeremy Corbyn with a landslide victory. Less than a year later, the party has a second leadership election, which Corbyn wins with another landslide and an increased share of the vote (on the 59.5% he achieves in the first). Labour goes on to attempt to find a middle Brexit road for the party.

Fails to do so.

2019

Boris Johnson's (even more unexpected)

election landslide

Following parliamentary gridlock over her Withdrawal Agreement, Conservative Prime Minister Theresa May resigns, Boris Johnson takes over and calls a general election for 12 December.

Johnson's Conservative Party win an 80 seat parliamentary majority on a 'Get Brexit done' platform and the UK stops being a member of the EU on 31 January 2020.

Culture

1953

The ECHR is brought
into existence

The European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) is a convention to protect human rights and political freedoms in Europe and a key ambition of those seeking to void another military conflict following World War II.

Drafted in 1950, all Council of Europe member states are a party to the Convention and new members are expected to ratify the convention.

2000

The Human Rights Act

comes into British law

The Human Rights Act incorporates into UK law the rights contained in the ECHR. The Act makes it unlawful for any public body to act in a way which is incompatible with the Convention unless the wording of any other primary legislation provides no other choice.

This changes the culture of public services in line with the principles of the ECHR.

2016

The BBC is accused of

biased reporting

Following the EU Referendum of 2016, the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) comes under pressure from critics who accuse it of liberal bias (particularly where the EU is concerned).

The debate intensifies when the Today presenter John Humphreys repeats the accusation in 2019 (which he puts down to the wider culture of the organisation).

Freddy Finger

Feb 19, 2020
5 min

Surprise!

In the years between the fall of the Berlin Wall and the result of the Brexit referendum, what exactly was delivered...

Allen Therisa

Feb 19, 2020
3 min

Existential

Was it only an existential crisis for those who had not so much lost the debate(s) and their control of power, but who had never...

AGE OF DIVISION

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