The Political Constitution Ten Years from Now – Dodo or Phoenix? Implications of the Brexit Referendum

Abstract

The repercussions from the referendum on June 23rd 2016 have sent shockwaves through the political and constitutional system. The referendum has implications for devolution, the nature of politics in the UK, the long term future of some of the political parties, and indeed the political nature of the constitution itself. The political constitution lacks a single written text or the entrenched provisions that go with it and embraces in many ways flexibility, often thought to give it enormous resilience. The EU referendum has exposed potential fault-lines in the constitutional system.

Keywords: Brexit, Political Constitution, Referendum