Observatoire de la société britannique n.28

Brexit and national identities

Sous la direction de Stéphanie Bory & Gilles Leydier

The 2016 Brexit referendum has put in evidence the divisions within the British multinational and asymmetric state: Scotland and Northern Ireland voted «Remain », while England and Wales chose to «leave» Europe. And the following negotiations between the UK government and the EU have contributed to revive the problematics of the territorial governance of the UK, by addressing issues like the Irish border, the future of devolution or the prospect of Scottish independence. The last UK general elections have confirmed the growing Scottish divergence and the potential emancipation from the British framework in some parts of the ‘celtic’ periphery as well as the role played by the Brexit issue in the process.

This present volume focuses on the differences of perceptions of the European issue within the national components of the UK, and discusses how the Brexit process is also challenging the idea of Britishness, undermining the British union and reshaping territorial politics in the UK.