“Take Back Control”: A Campanha no Referendo do Brexit

Abstract

The result of the United Kingdom European Union referendum, held on 23 June 2016, was the victory of Brexit. Seeking to contribute to the understanding of the phenomenon, this dissertation (1) examines the role played by the campaigns in the period before the referendum – on the one hand, “Vote Leave” and “Leave.EU”, in favour of leaving the EU, and, on the other, “Britain Stronger in Europe”, supporter of the United Kingdom’s permanence in the Union, and (2) analyse the impact of the result on the globalization process. To this end, a literature review and an analysis of quantify data were used. The results show that the “Leave” campaign was more influential and effective, by spreading a more diverse message, focused on immigration and the costs of joining the EU, by adopting a very attractive slogan, promising “Take Back Control” of the national sovereignty, borders, economy and trade, and by exploring a sense of anti-globalization nationalism that was, until then, latent in British society.