Winston Churchill was a student of the past, with a cast iron understanding of Britain’s inextricable role in European affairs over the last thousand years.
The UK’s departure from the EU might arguably leave not only the UK but also the EU more inward-looking and less engaged in world affairs.
The US sense of being a sole hegemonic superpower is under challenge, even as it pulls along the UK and allows it to think of their relationship as special.
The potential for Brexit is assessed through the premise that only a second referendum can negate the legitimacy of the first.
Brexit has no formal or immediate implications for the UK’s obligations under the ECHR, nevertheless, there may be some subtly negative consequences.
If the past is any guide opinion will continue to swing as the effects of BREXIT unfold but these effects are as obscure as those of the decision to remain were in 1975.
In perspective, a train carrying freight from the UK to the eastern side of China shows that such a link is possible, but whether it can be sustainable is another matter.
Anand Menon discusses linkages between domestic politics and international relations, the impact of Brexit on EU politics, and the disruptive rise of Eurosceptic parties.
There are going to be some rocky moments between the US-UK and UK-China equations. The UK’s attempts to lie between the US and China may prove the wisdom of the adage.
The challenge in the months ahead will be to ensure that Britain’s isolation can be reversed with the discovery of a new purpose at the centre of world affairs.
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