Brexit: A Tale of Two Referendums and Their Impact on the UK’s Future

Abstract

This article analyses the two critical referendums that have influenced the political landscape of the United Kingdom: the 2016 Brexit referendum and the 1975 vote about European Economic Community (EEC) membership. The essay examines how each referendum mirrored and shaped popular opinion, political discourse, and policymaking in the UK through a comparative analysis of these two historical events. The paper examines both referendums' socio-economic and political settings, emphasising the long-term consequences for the UK's relationship with Europe and its internal political dynamics. The article contends that grasping these referendums is essential for understanding the present challenges and prospects confronting the UK as it manoeuvres through its post-Brexit future.