Tribal Politics: how Brexit divided Britain

In this Research Showcase talk, Professor Sara Hobolt will discuss her forthcoming book Tribal Politics: How Brexit Divided Britain (OUP, with James Tilley), marking the 10-year anniversary of the Brexit vote.

The book argues that Brexit reshaped British politics not only by changing the UK’s relationship with Europe, but by creating two powerful and enduring political identities: Leavers and Remainers. The talk will explore how these identities continue to shape polarisation, political behaviour, and democratic legitimacy in the UK, and what this reveals about identity-driven politics more broadly.

Professor Sara Hobolt has published extensively on elections, referendums, public opinion and European Union politics. She is a Fellow of the British Academy and the Chair of the European Election Studies (EES), an EU-wide project studying voters, parties, candidates and the media in European Parliamentary elections.

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