The Brexit Omnishambles and the law of large solutions

Abstract

The UK’s decision to leave the European Union (EU) in 2016 unquestionably represents a critical juncture in British politics. Yet the intervening years in which the terms of Britain’s withdrawal have been painstakingly negotiated by the UK political elite appear less of a watershed, even if there have been significant alterations in particular fields of public policy. Path dependencies have reasserted themselves derailing the process of ‘getting Brexit done’, while the constraints and unintended consequences confronting policy-makers in the polity and politics have become increasingly apparent, not least on the issue of how far in practice to pursue regulatory divergence from the EU. The framing of Brexit as a ‘critical juncture’ has fuelled unrealistic expectations while contributing towards growing disillusionment among citizens. Amidst the ensuing chaos, Brexit appears more than ever to be an omnishambles of epic proportions.