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Brexit, the left behind and the let down : the political abstraction of 'the Economy' and the UK's EU Referendum

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Watson, Matthew (2018) Brexit, the left behind and the let down : the political abstraction of 'the Economy' and the UK's EU Referendum. British Politics, 13 (1). pp. 17-30. doi:10.1057/s41293-017-0062-8 ISSN 1746-918X.

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Official URL: https://doi.org/10.1057/s41293-017-0062-8

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Abstract

UK voters’ decision to overturn the country’s European Union membership has left most parliamentarians looking rather distant from the constituents they represent. The politicians staked much on assuming that people would not vote to sabotage their economic self-interest, but this message conspicuously failed to resonate. When politicians spoke in abstract terms about the needs of ‘the economy’, significant numbers understood this to mean labour market conditions that have personally served them badly. It has been commonplace since the referendum to refer to these people as the ‘left behind’. However, they might more usefully be described as the ‘let down’. Since the restructuring of the UK economy in line with global competitiveness norms they have been required to earn their rights as citizens through demonstrating their work readiness. Yet hard work on its own is now no longer sufficient for so many people to receive the rewards promised under the terms of the new social contract. They have been largely abandoned to their fate by the politicians as labour market segmentation has led to a significant expansion of the in-work poor. These people voted in large numbers against continued EU membership. This suggests that the referendum result can be seen at least in part as a revolt against the way in which the abstraction of ‘the economy’ has informed UK politics in recent decades.

Item Type: Journal Article
Divisions: Faculty of Social Sciences > Politics and International Studies
Journal or Publication Title: British Politics
Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan Ltd.
ISSN: 1746-918X
Official Date: April 2018
Dates:
DateEvent
April 2018Published
26 October 2017Accepted
11 November 2017Available
Volume: 13
Number: 1
Page Range: pp. 17-30
DOI: 10.1057/s41293-017-0062-8
Status: Peer Reviewed
Publication Status: Published
Access rights to Published version: Restricted or Subscription Access
Date of first compliant deposit: 8 November 2017
Date of first compliant Open Access: 7 November 2018
Funder: Economic and Social Research Council (Great Britain) (ESRC)
Grant number: ES/K010697/1

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