Abstract
This chapter argues that the 2017 and 2019 general elections were both ‘critical elections’ that have resulted in a new if asymmetric electoral realignment in British politics. It shows how Brexit prompted the major political parties to compete around a ‘second’, or cultural, dimension, thereby sorting and realigning the electorate along party lines. It also shows how the 2019 election intensified the sorting that had taken place in 2017, particularly among voters who had backed Leave in the 2016 referendum. Whether this new electoral configuration endures remains to be seen. Much will depend on the decisions and strategies of the major political parties. It will also depend on how the parties and voters respond to ‘electoral shocks’, such as the global coronavirus.
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