Seven years ago, 52% of the United Kingdom voted to leave the European Union. Whether you celebrate or condemn 23 June, this month Biteback are offering a thought-provoking selection of books exploring why Brexit happened, who was really behind it and what the future holds in the post-Brexit era.
Call Me Dave: The unauthorised biography of David Cameron, by Michael Ashcroft and Isabel Oakeshott
Discover the truth about the man who started it all by calling the Brexit referendum, former Prime Minister David Cameron, with the book that ‘got the world talking’ (Daily Mail).
Cameron is typically an enigma to those outside his exclusive inner circle, but Michael Ashcroft’s unauthorised biography provides fascinating insight into his most intriguing relationships, both political and personal. Based on hundreds of interviews with colleagues past and present, friends and foes, this explosive book charts Cameron’s ascent to the most powerful position in Britain.
Brexit Unfolded: How no one got what they wanted (and why they were never going to), by Chris Grey
Seven years on, has anyone got what they actually wanted out of Brexit?
In this clear-headed assessment, Chris Grey argues that it was all but inevitable that neither side would get what they wanted out of it. Why? Because the meaning of Brexit emerged only gradually, in the confusing and often dramatic events that followed the referendum.
Unpack those catalytic events to find out how, and why, the promise of Brexit dissolved, creating discontent on all sides.
The New Snobbery: Taking on modern elitism and empowering the working class, by David Skelton
Written by the man who helped set the template for the Conservatives’ successful attempt to take ‘Red Wall’ seats in 2019, David Skelton, The New Snobbery explains why northern working-class people voted for Brexit despite the disdain and even abuse they received from elites in politics, culture and business.
“If you want to know why the Red Wall is turning Tory and how the post-Brexit political realignment might become permanent, read this book.” Tim Shipman, chief political commentator, Sunday Times
A United Ireland: Why unification is inevitable and how it will come about, by Kevin Meagher
For over two centuries, the ‘Irish question’ has dogged UK politics. Though the Good Friday Agreement carved a fragile peace from the bloodshed of the Troubles, the Brexit process – where 55.8% of Northern Ireland voted to remain in the European Union – has shown a largely uncomprehending British audience just how uneasy that peace always was. Brexit has also thrown new light on Northern Ireland’s uncertain constitutional status.
As shifting demographic trends erode the once-dominant Protestant–Unionist majority, making a future referendum a racing certainty, the reunification of Ireland becomes a question not of if but when – and how.
Kevin Meagher delves into the reality of the Emerald Isle’s fate, arguing that a reasoned, pragmatic discussion about Britain’s relationship with its nearest neighbour is now long overdue.
Rule Britannia: Brexit and the end of empire, by Danny Dorling and Sally Tomlinson
Was Brexit the last gasp of the old empire working its way out of the British psyche? In this wide-ranging and thoughtful analysis, Danny Dorling and Sally Tomlinson argue that the referendum result was fuelled by a misplaced nostalgia, by a lack of knowledge of our imperial history and by a profound anxiety about Britain’s status today.
And yet, there is hope. If Britain can reconcile itself to its new place on the world stage, a new identity can be born from the ashes of jingoistic ignorance.
How to Lose a Referendum: The definitive story of why the UK voted for Brexit, by Jason Farrell and Paul Goldsmith
Uncover the eighteen key reasons why the UK made its choice to leave the EU, from Britain’s absence at the birth of the European project to the inflammatory rhetoric of one Nigel Farage, and everything in between.
Jason Farrell and Paul Goldsmith compile extensive and refreshingly frank interviews with key players from both campaigns in a nuanced and thoughtful discussion for Leavers, Remainers, newcomers and battle-hardened politicos alike.
Theresa May: The enigmatic Prime Minister, by Rosa Prince
Twenty days after Britain’s dramatic vote to leave the European Union, with the government still reeling from the political aftershock, a new Prime Minister captured Downing Street. Few were more surprised by this unexpected turn of events than Theresa May herself.
How did the self-styled unflashy politician rise to the top job? The editor of Politico’s London Playbook, Rosa Prince, maps the rise of Britain’s second female premier, the woman who had to fight against the odds to become an MP.
Discover more politically thought-provoking books here.