The Referendum Flashcards
Before the referendum, David Cameron attempted to renegotiate the UK’s EU membership to secure a more favorable position within the EU. Four key areas were negotiated. What were they?
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Protection of the Single Market & Non-Eurozone Members
- Ensuring that non-euro countries (e.g., the UK) would not be forced to integrate further into the EU’s economic framework.
- Britain wanted safeguards against being disadvantaged by eurozone policy decisions.
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Boosting Competitiveness by Cutting EU Regulations
- The UK wanted reduced bureaucratic burdens on businesses and fewer EU-imposed regulations.
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Increasing National Parliaments’ Powers & Opting Out of ‘Ever Closer Union’
- Britain sought to exempt itself from further European political integration, reinforcing its sovereignty.
- More power was requested for national parliaments to block EU legislation.
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Restricting Welfare Payments for Migrant Workers
- The UK pushed for limits on benefits for EU migrants, such as child benefits and in-work tax credits, to deter perceived “benefit tourism.”
When was the Brexit Referendum?
June 23, 2016.
Remain in the EU: 48.1%
Leave the EU: 51.9%
Turnout: 72.2% (highest since 1992)
What were the three characteristics that divided British society on the Brexit referendum?
The Brexit vote revealed stark geographical, generational, and occupational divides in British society.
Geographical:
- England and Wales + small industrial towns = Leave
- Scotland and NI + uni towns and metropoles = Remain
Generational:
- younger = remain
Occupational:
- White collar + academia = remain
- Factory, fishing = leave (want protectionism)
What is the Overton window and how does it apply to Brexit?
The Overton Window is a concept in political theory that describes the range of policies and ideas that are considered acceptable or mainstream in public discourse at any given time. It shifts as public opinion changes, often influenced by political leaders, media, or major events.
Applying the Overton Window to Brexit
Brexit is a prime example of how the Overton Window shifted from “Brexit is unthinkable” to “Brexit is inevitable” within just a few years.
Mainstream politics largely accepted EU membership as a given, with debates focusing more on reform within the EU rather than leaving altogether.
What 4 events shifted the Overton window?
- Rise of Euroscepticism: The UK Independence Party (UKIP) and parts of the Conservative Party, particularly under pressure from Nigel Farage, pushed Brexit into mainstream debate.
- Economic and Sovereignty Concerns: Issues like immigration, regulatory control, and perceptions of EU overreach made Brexit a more serious political topic.
- 2016 Referendum: By calling a referendum, David Cameron cemented Brexit within the Overton Window, making it not just a possibility but a central political issue.
- Post-Referendum Normalization: After the “Leave” vote, Brexit moved from being a controversial idea to the dominant policy direction of the UK government. Even those who initially opposed Brexit had to accept it as reality and shift their focus to its terms (e.g., soft vs. hard Brexit).
What are 3 key lessons from Brexit and the Overton window?
- Radical ideas can become mainstream if they are persistently argued and find resonance with the public.
- Political leaders and media play a crucial role in shifting what is considered “acceptable” discourse.
- Once the Overton Window shifts, it is difficult to reverse—after the referendum, even pro-Remain politicians had to operate within the framework of Brexit happening.
What was the Great Repeal Act of 2018 (aka European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018.) ?
The Great Repeal Act 2018 refers to the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018, which was a key piece of legislation in the Brexit process.
The Act’s primary purpose was to repeal the European Communities Act 1972, the law that originally brought the UK into the European Economic Community (the precursor to the EU). By doing so, the UK officially ended the supremacy of EU law in the UK legal system.
What issues did the Great Repeal Act of 2018 cause?
By simply repealing the 1972 Act there would be huge gaps in UK law, as many domestic laws were based on EU regulations. To avoid legal chaos, the Great Repeal Act copied over thousands of EU laws into UK law, creating a new category called “retained EU law”.
Explain the ‘Adrian Yalland and Peter Wilding v Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union’ (2017) Case.
This case was about whether the UK needed to take extra legal steps to leave the European Economic Area (EEA) after Brexit.
- Two men, Peter Wilding and Adrian Yalland, argued that just leaving the EU (using Article 50) didn’t mean the UK had also left the EEA.
- They said the government had to formally withdraw from the EEA by following Article 127, which requires 12 months’ notice.
- The UK government said, “No need! Since we joined the EEA through the EU, leaving the EU means we automatically leave the EEA too.”
What did the court say?
The High Court dismissed the case and agreed with the government: Leaving the EU = Leaving the EEA automatically. No extra legal steps were needed.
Why does this matter?
1. It settled the debate about whether Brexit also meant leaving the EEA.
2. It showed the government, not Parliament, had control over this decision.
3. The courts refused to get involved in what they saw as a political issue.
The case confirmed that Brexit was one big exit, no separate process was needed for the EEA.
The two main parties of the UK government are Labour and Conservative. What did each side campaign for during the Brexit Referendum?
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Labour:
- Officially supported the Remain campaign, though leader Jeremy Corbyn was lukewarm in his support.
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Conservatives:
- Allowed a free vote for cabinet ministers, reflecting deep divisions within the party.
