The Stream

Will Brexit break up the UK?

In Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, the push to quit the EU has sparked greater interest in leaving the UK.

The UK officially left the European Union on Friday, beginning a transition period where London must negotiate a trade deal with the EU by the end of the year. The historic end to 47 years of EU membership was met with both celebration, mourning, and a sense of anxiety for many UK citizens living in Scotland and Northern Ireland – both places where the majority voted to remain in the EU.

The push to quit the EU has generated renewed interest in independence from the UK as some citizens outside of England say London no longer represents their interests. The Scottish parliament has already agreed to hold an independence referendum, and support for a united Ireland – an idea once viewed as unrealistic – is now part of mainstream political discussion.

So is Brexit – a campaign whose electoral success was linked closely to English nationalism – destined to break up the United Kingdom?

On this episode of The Stream, we speak with: 

Laurence Lee, @laurilee67
Senior Correspondent, Al Jazeera English
aljazeera.com

James Kelly, @JamesKelly
Founder and Author, ‘SCOT Goes Pop’
scotgoespop.blogspot.com

Alexandra Phillips, @BrexitAlex
Former Brexit Party MEP
thebrexitparty.org

Read more:
Opinion: Boris Johnson might break up the UK. That’s a good thing. – New York Times
Britain leaves the European Union, leaps into the unknown – AP

 

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