Brexit and the Future of the Left
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 12716136 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Boris Kagarlitsky (0009-0003-6399-3951, Institute of Globalization and Social Movements (IGSO), Moscow, Russia, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2016 |
| Volume | 14 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Pages | 110-117 |
| Publication date | 2016-10-25 |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Globalizations (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1474-7731 • E-ISSN: 1474-774X |
| Publisher | Taylor & Francis (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/14747731.2016.1228800 |
| OpenAlex | W2532643381 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 4 |
The referendum on British membership in the European Union divided not only the society in the UK but also the left both in Britain and all over the continent. This division however is produced not so much by this specific debate but by a deeper problem of the left capitulating ideologically and accepting neoliberalism as something objectively inevitable (even without publically recognizing it), replacing class struggle by ‘progressive’ cultural values that themselves form an essential part of the new capitalist hegemony. Leftist intelligentsia with its cultural critique of capitalism is no alternative to the current system, rather it is one of its pillars. While class division was very visible in the Brexit vote, with the working class and poor massively voting for ‘Leave’, most of the left either sided with the establishment or was wavering. Thus the success of the ‘Leave’ vote can be claimed by nationalists. Even after this political disaster instead criticizing itself leftist intelligentsia is blaming the people for being provincial and not accepting their progressive European values. However it was exactly the mass of common people in England who by voting for ‘Leave’ contributed to the formation of the new European agenda. Overcoming and unmaking bureaucratic, authoritarian, and neoliberal EU institutions is the only way to progress towards the making of a new democratic Europe
Authoritarianism · Brexit · Capitalism · Democracy · Economics · European union · Hegemony · Ideology · Intelligentsia · Left-wing politics · Neoliberalism (international relations · Political economy · Political science · Politics · Referendum · Sociology · Housing, Finance, and Neoliberalism · Law · Political and Economic history of UK and US
| Citations per year | 0.44 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2017 - 2026 (10) |
| Highly cited | No |