Brexit

While neoliberalism, mourning over the loss of Empire, and the sharp decline in working-class solidarity were some of the factors in the UK’s vote for Brexit, a politics of racist resentment also marked the campaign. The remarkable rise in hate crimes targeted at immigrants as well as established Black and Brown citizens (see the UK’s Race Riots Summer) confirms that the vote was bound up with questions of race. The campaign was rife with colonial invocations and nostalgias that were racially underpinned. Below you will find a selection of articles and videos exploring the rise of UKIP and post-Brexit racism.

“Nigel Farage dismisses Ukip racism concerns”. By Elizabeth Rigby. Financial Times. 1 May 2013.

“UKIP: A breeding ground for racism”. By Tash Shifrin. Socialist Worker. 1 June 2013.

“Ukip local elections candidates' 'racist' language is exposed”. By Joe Murphy, John Dunne and David Churchill. The Standard. 2 May 2014.

“Nigel Farage: UKIP is not a racist party”. BBC News. 7 May 2014.

“Ukip riddled with racism and misogyny, claims activist”. By Alexi Mostrous and Billy Kenber. The Times. 9 December 2014.

“'No dogs. No blacks. No Irish' is now Ukip policy”. By Dan Hodges. The Telegraph. 12 March 2015.

“Nigel Farage Needs a Mint Because His Racism Stinks!” By Imriel Morgan. Huffington Post. 16 June 2016.

“Farage Defends 'Vile And Racist' EU Poster”. Sky News. 19 June 2016.

“Ukip and racism: Election candidate William Henwood says Lenny Henry should emigrate to 'black country'”. By Ryan Fletcher. Morning Star.

Nigel Farage and UKIP

“The very notion of Great Britain's 'greatness' is bound up with empire. Euro-scepticism and Little Englander nationalism could hardly survive if people understood whose sugar flowed through English blood and rotted English teeth.”

Stuart Hall

Post Brexit Rise in Hate Crime

“Brexit: What's Race Got To Do With It?” By Leah Donnella. NPR. 25 June 2016.

“'Go back home' - Bitter backlash post EU referendum”. BBC News. 27 June 2016.

“Britons lament #PostBrexitRacism as police probe abuse”. By Tucker Reals. CBS News. 27 June 2016.

“‘A frenzy of hatred’: how to understand Brexit racism”. By Homa Khaleeli. The Guardian. 29 June 2016.

“Post-Brexit racism”. By the IRR News Team. Institute of Race Relations. 7 July 2016.

“UN blames UK politicians for Brexit hate crime spike”. BBC News. 26 August 2016.

“Brexit strongly linked to xenophobia, scientists conclude”. Josh Gabbatiss. The Independent. 27 November 2017.

“Young Eastern Europeans Are Reporting Increased Racism And Xenophobia After The Brexit Vote”. By Daniela Sime. Huffington Post. 11 April 2018.

“Racism rising since Brexit vote, nationwide study reveals”. By Robert Booth. The Guardian. 20 May 2019.

“The only certainty of Brexit is rising racism in the UK”. By Fréa Lockley. The Canary. 29 May 2019.

“Brexit 'major influence' in racism and hate crime rise”. BBC News. 20 June 2019.

“How Brexit and Megxit have highlighted the reality of racism in the UK today”. By Ateh Jewel. Glamour Magazine. 11 February 2020.

“Did the vote for Brexit lead to a rise in hate crime?” By Joel Carr, Joanna Clifton-Sprigg, Jonathan James and Suncica Vujic. Economics Observatory. 25 February 2021.

“The Brexit vote unleashed a nasty tide of xenophobia, racism and bigotry in the UK – I no longer felt welcome”. By Emmy van Deurzen. The Independent. 22 June 2021.

Videos

“Undercover filming reveals racism in key Brexit Party campaign”. Channel 4 News. 9 December 2019.

“The politics of nationalism and racism in post-Brexit Britain | LSE Research”. LSE. 1 June 2020.