‘I Don't Want Another Five Years of “The Only Thing We Talk About Is Brexit”’: The Dynamics of EU (De)politicisation in Post‐Brexit Britain

Journal article

The 2016 Brexit referendum was a watershed moment for the politicisation of the European Union (EU) in the United Kingdom. Much has been written about the politicising effects of the referendum, along with the Leave result's subsequent contestation in the media as well as in national and European election cycles. Using longitudinal media discourse analysis and in‐depth focus group data, this article examines how everyday narratives of the EU reflect the extent of the (de)politicisation of the EU and its institutions 8 years on from the referendum and 4 years after the United Kingdom's formal departure from the EU. We compare citizens' narratives of the EU to the framing of UK/EU relations in the media, juxtaposing the differentiated narratives and constructions of EU (de)politicisation in post‐Brexit Britain. We find that, in 2024, both media and citizen narratives reflect a diminished level of politicisation of both the EU and Brexit issues, with fewer and less emotive media headlines compared to previous years, combined with a sense of resignation, apathy and wanting to ‘move on’ amongst citizens. Importantly, however, whilst the saturation of EU issues in the media has declined post‐2016, this overall trend is punctuated by moments of renewed politicisation in times of crisis, reflecting citizen narratives that the relationship between the EU and the United Kingdom may never be truly ‘settled’, and therefore remains open to renewed contestation in the future. The implications of this for understanding the dynamics of EU (de)politicisation in a former member state are discussed.

Authors: Houde, A; Stockwell, L

• Publication status: Published
• Peer review status: Peer reviewed
• Publisher: Wiley
• Journal: Journal of Common Market Studies
• Publication date: 2025-09-28
• Acceptance date: 2025-08-22
• DOI: 10.1111/jcms.70038
• EISSN: 1468-5965
• ISSN: 0021-9886
• Language: English
• Keywords: Brexit; constructivism/discursive institutionalism; integration theories; political sociology