THE ROOTS OF BREXIT: CONFLICT OF IDENTITIES IN THE UNITED KINGDOM

Abstract

The United Kingdom has been developing due to political compromise that has a positive impact over British political system to solve dichotomy between the principles of Parliament sovereignty and regional home rule. These principles seriously depend on selfidentification processes that reflect significance of Britishness and ethno-national (regional) identities in consciousness and political culture of citizens. Struggle or reconciliation of the identities was complicated after Great Britain had become a member of European Common market. It is evident that European identity has enforced regional ones, for it is better to be a people among other peoples in Europe than just an ethno-national minority in the state. However, Britishness keeps its positions due to British global project, and it was proved by Brexit. Anyway, Brexit revealed demarcation lines, based on identities, and the threat of territorial integrity of the United Kingdom.

Keywords

• identity
• ethno-national political forces
• conflict
• regionalization
• devolution
• european integration
• вrexit
• great britain
• scotland
• wales
• northern ireland
• england