Brexit: Causes of the British Vote to Leave the EU
This paper examines the causes behind the United Kingdom's 2016 referendum vote to leave the European Union, commonly known as Brexit. Drawing on polling data, economic research, and political analysis, the paper identifies sovereignty, immigration policy, economic disenfranchisement, and cultural identity as the primary factors driving the Leave vote. It also considers the political context created by the rise of UKIP and populist sentiment, and explores the strategic, diplomatic, and trade consequences the UK faces as it negotiates its future relationship with the EU and the broader international community.
- Introduction to Brexit and the 2016 Referendum: Background on the EU, referendum vote, and UKIP's role
- Causes of Brexit: Sovereignty, immigration, and border control as Leave drivers
- Economic Disenfranchisement and the Left-Behind Voters: Low wage growth and political alienation fueling Leave sentiment
- Cultural Divide and Value-Based Voting: Cultural discomfort with immigration and social liberalism
- Conclusion: Consequences and Future Outlook: Trade, diplomacy, and strategic challenges post-Brexit
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What makes this paper effective
- The paper grounds its claims in concrete polling data — citing a survey of 12,369 voters and wage-growth research by Bell and Machin — giving empirical weight to what could otherwise be abstract political arguments.
- It presents multiple explanatory frameworks (sovereignty, immigration, economic grievance, and cultural identity) without forcing a single cause, reflecting the genuine complexity of the referendum outcome.
- The conclusion looks beyond the vote itself to consider diplomatic, trade, and strategic consequences, giving the essay a forward-looking dimension that strengthens its analytical scope.
Key academic technique demonstrated
The paper effectively uses multi-causal analysis: rather than arguing that one factor alone explains Brexit, it layers economic, political, and cultural explanations, using different sources to support each. This approach models how social scientists treat complex political events — acknowledging that voter behavior is overdetermined and that competing explanations can each capture part of the truth.
Structure breakdown
The paper opens with background on the EU and the referendum context, then transitions into a dedicated "Causes of Brexit" section covering sovereignty, immigration, economic inequality, and cultural division in sequence. The conclusion shifts from cause to consequence, addressing trade, diplomacy, multilateralism, and strategic uncertainty. This cause-then-consequence structure is clean and easy to follow at the undergraduate level.
Introduction to Brexit and the 2016 Referendum
Brexit was the referendum vote that saw the United Kingdom pull out of the European Union. The European Union (EU) is a regional trade agreement bringing together various European nations. The formation of the union saw the elimination of most barriers to the movement of labor, capital, and goods between member states. It harmonized the laws, rules, and standards governing trade among member nations. Most member states use the Euro as their currency, with the United Kingdom being a notable exception (Ries, 2016).
The Brexit referendum was held on 23 June 2016, and the central question was whether the UK ought to leave or remain in the EU. Approximately 17.41 million voters chose Leave while 16.41 million voted Remain. There was a political calculation behind the referendum: the then Prime Minister, David Cameron, hoped that the results would halt the growth of the populist movement largely led by the United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP) (Offe, 2016).
Cutts (2016) observes that the political environment was highly volatile in the period leading up to the referendum. The UK had experienced an extended period of economic growth and prosperity, yet a large portion of the electorate felt that they had been left behind and had not benefited from that prosperity. They began to distrust mainstream political party leaders, and the disconnect between ordinary voters and political elites widened considerably. UKIP, a right-wing populist party, became the voice of the disenfranchised and grew very popular among those who would later vote Leave. Nigel Farage, UKIP's leader, portrayed Europe as the main source of the UK's troubles and argued that the country would lose key aspects of its sovereignty by remaining in the European Union. By aggressively promoting their anti-European stance, UKIP broadened its populist base while maintaining its credibility as a mainstream political party.
References
Aspaker, A., Denver, D., Garnett, M., Runcimann, D., Barber, S., Lord, C., Wright, N., Todd, J., O'Hara, G., Hertner, I., & Harvey, M. (2016). The Brexit drama and the dawn of a new era. Journal of the British Politics Society, Norway, 11(3), 1–24. Retrieved from http://www.britishpoliticssociety.no/British%20Politics%20Review%2003_2016.pdf
Chu, B. (2016, June 26). Why did people really vote for Brexit? If we don't face the psychological reasons, we'll never bring Britain together. The Independent. Retrieved from http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/brexit-eu-referendum-why-did-people-vote-leave-immigration-nhs-a7104071.html
Cutts, D. (2016, June 29). Brexit! The result and its implications. E-International Relations. Retrieved from http://www.e-ir.info/2016/06/29/brexit-the-result-and-its-implications/
Offe, C. (2016, December 9). Brexit and the weaknesses of referenda. Global Policy Journal. Retrieved from http://www.globalpolicyjournal.com/blog/09/12/2016/brexit-and-weaknesses-referenda
Ries, J. (2016). Brexit: Causes and consequences. Sauder School of Business. Retrieved from https://sauderalumnicareers.ca/sites/files/general/Brexit%20Presentation%20Slides_1.pdf
Roff, P. (2016, June 30). Brexit was about Britain. US News & World Report. Retrieved from https://www.usnews.com/opinion/articles/2016-06-30/poll-shows-brexit-vote-was-about-british-sovereignty-not-anti-immigration
Wincott, D., Peterson, J., & Convery, A. (2017). Introduction: Studying Brexit's causes and consequences. The British Journal of Politics and International Relations, 1–5.
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