Explaining support for Brexit among parliamentary candidates: the case of Wales

Trumm, Siim

Abstract

The 2016 EU referendum was a key moment in the history of the United Kingdom. It has changed the course of the country and continues to shape political competition in the UK. Despite research on which voters cast their ballot for Leave having become a minor industry in recent years, we still know little about what factors motivated our politicians to do so. Using original data from the 2016 Welsh Candidate Study, this article explains support for Brexit among parliamentary candidates in Wales. It finds that both candidates’ socio-economic profile and political attitudes influenced their decision to vote Leave in 2016. The strongest determinants of Leave vote were candidates’ views on how the EU works; how democratic it is and how much influence it can exert. Candidates’ occupational background and policy concerns were also relevant, but their effects were slightly weaker. These findings not only highlight that there are important similarities between what influenced politicians and voters to cast their ballot for Leave, but also some salient differences.

Citation

Trumm, S. (2021). Explaining support for Brexit among parliamentary candidates: the case of Wales. British Politics, 16, 58-73. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41293-020-00135-7

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Feb 17, 2020
• Online Publication Date: Mar 5, 2020
• Publication Date: 2021-03
• Deposit Date: Mar 6, 2020
• Publicly Available Date: Mar 6, 2021
• Journal: British Politics
• Print ISSN: 1746-918X
• Electronic ISSN: 1746-9198
• Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 16
• Pages: 58-73
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/s41293-020-00135-7
• Keywords: Political Science and International Relations; Sociology and Political Science; History
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/4096926
• Publisher URL: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1057/s41293-020-00135-7