On the Road to Brexit
| Published date | 01 December 2016 |
| Date | 01 December 2016 |
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1177/2041905816680412 |
8 POLITICAL INSIGHT • DECEMBER 2016
The United Kingdom has never
been at ease with either its
membership of the European
Union or the broader idea of
European integration. The referendum on
23 June 2016 was supposed to settle the
issue. It is unclear when and how it will. For
the then Prime Minister, David Cameron,
the plan was for the referendum to bring
closure on the question of whether the
UK should remain in or leave the EU. The
people would decide, and in being allowed
to do so, Cameron would at least be
able to silence his vociferous backbench
eurosceptic MPs.
Cameron expected a ‘remain’ outcome.
Faced with the choice, voters would reject
the uncertainties of a ‘leave’ vote and opt
for the knowns of the status quo. How
wrong Cameron was; how wrong too in
On the Road to Brexit
“Brexit means Brexit” – but what does Brexit mean? David
Phinnemore explores the options for the UK – and the European
Union – in the wake of June’s dramatic referendum result.
its expectations was much of the political
establishment.
June 23
On a turnout of 72.2 per cent, 51.9 per
cent of voters across the UK opted to
‘leave’ the EU. The margin of victory was far
from emphatic; it also marked significant
regional differences. While England (53.4
per cent) and Wales (52.5 per cent) voted
‘leave’, larger majorities in Scotland (62.0
per cent) and Northern Ireland (55.8 per
cent) voted ‘remain’. There was also the
result in Gibraltar: 95.9 per cent for ‘remain’.
Cameron promptly resigned, but the
© Press Association
Political Insight December 2016.indd 8 31/10/2016 14:28
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