Understanding Brexit in Wales: Austerity, Elites and National Identity

Support for Brexit in Wales looks similar to that in England. The turn-out in Wales was very high, the same as the UK average and, as in Brexit-voting parts of England, there was strong anti-immigration sentiment in Brexit-voting areas of Wales, with a feeling that immigration is keeping wages down. This chapter, however, focuses on several important differences: it explores what is distinctive about support for Brexit in Wales. Approaches to Brexit are different in Wales due to the historical relationship of Wales to England, and the distinct social structure and politics of Wales – specifically, its elite and its distinct politics. In England, those with the strongest sense of English national identity voted most heavily for Brexit, whilst those who identified as British more than English tended to vote Remain. Thus, in order to understand Brexit in Wales, the chapter analyses and explains Brexit voting and the nature of elite agents and identities in contemporary Wales.