Brexit and British Politics: A Pub Chat Guide
Imagine you’ve just walked into your local pub, The King’s Arms. It’s quiz night, and the first question is a doozy: “How has Brexit changed British politics?” The whole pub goes quiet, and even Gary, who usually has an opinion on everything, looks stumped. Well, grab a pint and pull up a chair, because we’re about to break it down in a way that’ll make you the star of the next pub quiz.
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1. The Great Political Reshuffle
Remember when picking a political party was as simple as choosing between Oasis or Blur? (Team Oasis here, don’t @ me.) Well, Brexit has turned that upside down faster than you can say “Wonderwall.”
Take my mate Dave. He’s a 50-year-old former miner from Barnsley. “I’ve been Labour since I could vote,” he told me over a pint. “But after Brexit? I found myself voting Tory. Felt like I was cheating on my wife!”
The Conservatives, once as divided over Europe as we are over whether Jaffa Cakes are biscuits or cakes, suddenly became the Brexit Bunch. They lost some of their pro-EU members faster than contestants get voted off Love Island but gained support in areas that had been Labour red for longer than Coronation Street’s been running.
Meanwhile, Labour’s been trying to please everyone like a waiter at a table where half the guests are vegan and the other half ordered the tomahawk steak.
The Lib Dems and SNP? They’ve gone all in on their love for the EU, like that friend who won’t shut up about their gap year in Barcelona.
2. Voting Patterns: The Great British Swap Off
Brexit has reshuffled voters faster than Paul Hollywood kneads dough. In the 2019 election, traditional Labour areas in the North and Midlands (the so-called “Red Wall”) turned Tory blue. It was like seeing your gran get a tattoo – shocking, but you can’t look away.
- The Tories snatched 54 seats they didn’t have in 2017, 52 from Labour. That’s more of a land grab than a game of Risk!
- Labour’s vote share dropped by 7.8%, while the Tories’ went up 1.2%. Talk about a political Jenga tower collapse.
3. The United Kingdom: Not So United Anymore?
Brexit’s done more to shake up the UK than when we found out Boaty McBoatface wouldn’t be the name of that research ship. It’s like the UK’s going through a mid-life crisis, and Scotland and Northern Ireland are the kids caught in the middle.
Scotland, which voted to stay in the EU like it was the last bottle of Irn-Bru, is now eyeing independence again. A 2020 poll showed 58% of Scots wanting to go solo. That’s higher than the number of people who can actually understand what Groundskeeper Willie is saying.
Over in Northern Ireland, they’re stuck with a customs border in the Irish Sea. It’s like being told you can’t bring your duty-free gin through security – annoying and potentially explosive.
4. Democracy: The Great British Power Off
Brexit has tested our democratic institutions more than a round of Taskmaster. Remember when BoJo tried to prorogue Parliament? The Supreme Court shut that down faster than you can say “Order, order!” It was like watching a political version of Judge Rinder but with bigger wigs.
We’ve also been debating the role of referendums more than we argue about the correct pronunciation of ‘scone’. (It’s ‘scon’, by the way. Fight me.)
5. Political Chat: More Divided Than a Socially Distanced Queue
Brexit’s polarized us more than Marmite. We’ve got new lingo like “Remoaners” and “Brexit betrayal” entering our vocab faster than “It’s coming home” during the Euros.
Social media has become an echo chamber, with people more likely to talk to others who agree with them than strike up a chat in a pub queue. (Remember when we used to do that? Good times.)
Trust in politicians and the media dropped lower than Gemma Collins on Dancing on Ice:
- 77% of us think the country’s more divided than ever. That’s more agreement than we have over whether milk goes in tea first.
- Trust in news has fallen from 51% in 2015 to 28% in 2020. We trust the news less than a weather forecast for a British summer.
The Last Orders
So, there you have it. Brexit’s shaken up British politics more than James Bond’s martini. It’s redrawn political battle lines, tested our institutions, and divided public opinion more than the question “Does pineapple belong on pizza?”
As we navigate this brave new world, one thing’s for sure – British politics will never be the same again. But hey, at least we’ve still got tea, queuing, and complaining about the weather to unite us.
Now, who’s ready for the next round?
