THE LONG-TERM POLITICAL AND SOCIAL PROCESSES THAT INFLUENCED THE REFERENDUM IN BRITAIN

Abstract

The aim of this article is to apply long-perceived socio-political processes to the field of education in the United Kingdom related to Brexit and the events that gradually led to it. The article therefore focuses on attitudes towards migration, questions about fears about the future, and British citizens’ concerns about demographic developments. Along with these topics, the issue of public awareness and its impact on voters’ attitudes is also addressed. The article traces political events in Britain since Thatcherism, when major reforms including the reform of universities and academia took place, with Tony Blair continuing the model a few years later. The article outlines the current impact of Brexit on the university education system. Using qualitative research, the article seeks to map and apply the political and social processes and justify on what grounds, the British electorate chose to leave the long-standing Union.