UNIVERSITY NEWS LAST UPDATED : 08 OCTOBER 2020
The Centre for Brexit Studies will reveal the findings from their latest research at their next online event.
The Centre have undertaken a large research project into Brexit and devolution, looking into the reasons behind why people voted the way they did in the EU referendum, as well as exploring attitudes to devolution and whether bodies such as local councils and the West Midlands Combined Authority have enough power.
The research also aimed to explore whether people feel they have a say in how their local areas are run, and if this had any impact on the Brexit vote. It is significant that deprived communities in Scotland exhibited very different voting preferences from similar communities in the Midlands and North of England.
In contrast to Scotland, England has seen the creation of Local Enterprise Partnerships, Combined Authorities, and the emergence of the “Northern Powerhouse” and “Midlands Engine” brands. This raises questions as to whether voter perceptions of “being left behind” could be partly related to a lack of suitably devolved governance arrangements within England.
The Centre’s latest research brings together evidence on the nature of the Brexit vote, and the potential impact from governance arrangements, on selected areas within the West Midlands and Scotland, with the highest and lowest votes for Brexit.
The findings from the research provide critical insights into why individuals in certain localities voted in such dramatically different ways.
The event, taking place on Wednesday 28 October, 9.00am-10.30am, will bring together an expert panel for an insightful and interesting discussion. The event will be hosted by Professor Alex de Ruyter, Director at the Centre for Brexit Studies, followed by Q&A from the audience. Online access details will be shared closer to the event.
Attendees are encouraged to share their thoughts during the event with the hashtag: #CBSDevolution
Panel members:
Hosted by Professor Alex de Ruyter - Director at the Centre for Brexit Studies
Professor Geoff Whittam - Professor at Glasgow Caledonian University
Arantza Gomez Arana - Senior Lecturer in International Relations at Northumbria University and Visiting Fellow at the Centre for Brexit Studies
Free tickets can be registered for here.