Brexit: hatred, lies and UK democracy

Abstract

The article analyses the progress of the Brexit debate in the UK from the time that David Cameron announced in 2013 his intention to hold a referendum on the UK's membership of the UK up until the calling of the 2019 UK General Election. It considers three dimensions of that that debate: the hatred, the lies, and the standing of UK democracy. It argues that while the first two dimensions have been particularly stark and disturbing, there are reasons to retain some faith in the UK's democratic structures and public culture.