Brexit — Blog — Sage Perspectives Blog

Colonial Hangover and ‘Invited’ Migration: Hong Kongers to the UK

Protests in Hong Kong over plans to allow extradition from Hong Kong to mainland China is going on since mid-2019. These reforms are seen as a threat to Hong Kongers’ freedom. The protesters expanded their demands for democratic reform and opposition to Beijing’s introduction to a new national security law. Following the continued protests, the UK government invited over five million Hong Kong residents to relocate to the country. The purpose of this article is to delve into why the UK welcomes Hong Kong residents to apply for citizenship.

ResearchDeepa LintoJune 16, 2022Hong Kong, China, Brexit, COVID-19, UK

The resilience of the European Union to Brexit

What impact will Brexit have on the decision-making processes and outputs of the European Union (EU)? Losing one of its largest member states – in terms of the size of the UK’s population, economy, diplomatic resources and military power – could have important consequences for the policies that the EU will adopt and for the relations among the remaining states. Much has been written about the causes of Brexit and its possible effects on the United Kingdom (UK) and the economic relations between the UK and the EU27. However, there has been little systematic analysis of the possible effects of Brexit on the functioning of EU institutions.

ResearchLORNA MCCONNVILLEOctober 24, 2019SAGE post, Politics, Brexit, Council, bargaining, networks, legislation

The political revolt of the lower middle class against automation: a common explanation for Brexit, Trumpism or the yellow vests

Labour markets in advanced economies are increasingly marked by job polarisation, whereby job creation occurs either at the high- or low-skill levels, while mid-skill jobs are disappearing. This is mainly due to the process of automation of many routine-based tasks, as machines, computers, and robots can replace certain repetitive human tasks. What impact does this development have on politics? In our recent paper, we demonstrate that the fear of labour automation may translate into greater support for radical right parties.