Brexit and its Aftermath

Description

The British referendum on the membership of the European Union on 23 June 2016 was a cataclysmic event in British and European politics. Years later the consequences are still unknown. This collection seeks to answer the key questions relating to the consequences of Brexit and the future of Britain. Will Brexit affect the British constitution? Is Brexit likely to lead to the breakup of the UK – with Scotland and Northern Ireland seeking independence? How will Covid-19 delay lingering political questions brought on by Brexit? These key questions and more, relating to both domestic and foreign policy, are answered by a range of contributors including expert academics, policy-makers and Members of Parliament and addresses both European and British policy-making. Half Title Title Page Copyright Page Contents Preface Contributors Introduction Part 1: Brexit, Political Parties, the British Constitution and the Union Chapter 1: Brexit and the British Constitution Parliamentary sovereignty Direct and representative democracy Contiguous issues Trends in the party system, in particular tensions within the Conservatives and Labour Elections ‘Populism’ Social divisions Online politics Geography Chapter 2: Brexit’s impact on the party system British party politics and Brexit, June 2016–December 2020 June 2016–17 The Brexit election? The general election of 2017 Party politics pushed to the Brexit extremes, June 2017–December 2018 Multiparty politics: January–September 2018 Prime Minister Johnson and a Brexit election The Brexit effect on the UK party system The UK’s changing electoral coalitions Conservative and Labour party members The Parliamentary Conservative and Labour parties Chapter 3: Brexit and Scotland: Unfinished business? Introduction Brexit begins to matter The 2017 election Support for independence rises Brexit and devolution The pandemic The 2021 election Scotland’s new choice Conclusion Acknowledgement Chapter 4: On the borders of contention: Brexit’s physical and psychological impact on Britain’s border with Ireland Introduction and contextualization Research study and methodology Blurred boundaries at the outset The shadows of gun people in Irish history The opening up of a territorial Pandora’s box Getting Brexit done and getting on with life along the border Conclusion and recommendations on the basis of this study Chapter 5: The impact of Brexit on the future of the UK’s financial services What accounts for the growth of the UK’s financial services industry? A wide range of financial services activity The impact of Brexit negotiations on financial services The impact of the Christmas Eve 2020 agreement The short-term impact of Brexit on UK’s financial services Medium-term impact of Brexit and other factors on London as the global financial centre Conclusion: Future competition in financial services between the UK, Europe and other world centres Part 2: The UK and the World Chapter 6: The future of British trade policy Setting the scene An independent trade policy HM government’s ambitions on trade policy Global trade priorities Multilateral reform The UK Global Tariff (UKGT) Continuity agreements New FTA negotiations Conclusion Chapter 7: Brexit and the ‘special relationship’ So much for the ‘specially close’ relationship as it has existed until now. Re Brexit, how did we get to the position we are now in? What then will be the effect on Britain’s relationship with the United States? So, apart from the obvious loss of British influence in Europe, what else especially risks being lost post Brexit? Chapter 8: Choppy waters: The future of the Entente Cordiale after Brexit The origins of the Entente Cordiale: From an informal relationship to a diplomatic alliance Monnet’s supranationalism and Britain’s refusal to join a customs union De Gaulle’s reluctance towards the UK and his veto to its membership of the EU in 1963 and 1967 The impact of Brexit on the Entente Cordiale Conclusion Chapter 9: Brexit and the German position Introduction Early warning signs The loss of a strategic partner Prospects The UK after Brexit Brexit as a negotiation process Defence cooperation A kind of conclusion Epilogue Books Reports and articles Chapter 10: The new relationship between the EU and the UK The four pillars of the trade deal A free trade agreement without tariffs or quotas An economic and social partnership, the fight against climate change, non-discrimination The security of citizens : The fight against terrorism and organized crime Customs checks ‘What we call the beginning is often the end and to make an end is to make a beginning’ (T. S. Eliot) The impact of the trade agreement on the UK and the EU The impact on the UK Zero tariffs and zero quotas to the EU National independence Control of British laws The Northern Ireland question Gibraltar The Lugano Convention The impact on the EU Conclusion Index