How Does Post-Brexit Britain Wish To Exercise Its Sovereignty?

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One key feature of British politics during and since the referendum has been the strength of the division between those who voted Remain and those who backed Leave. The two sides have been inclined to take different views about what the UK's post-Brexit relationship with the EU should be. Now there is a possibility that they might take different stances about the choices that the UK now has to make as it takes on responsibility for those policy areas that are currently wholly or partly decided by the EU. If this were to be the case the polarisation - and intra-party dissensus - that has been a hallmark of recent British politics could continue well beyond Brexit itself.However, using conventional survey methods to research public attitudes to post-Brexit policy choices is constrained by what to date has been a lack of public debate about the various options and trade-offs that will face policy-makers. This project will meet these constraints by using a deliberative approach to researching public attitudes, focusing on three areas of post-Brexit policy - on immigration, labour market regulation and food production and safety.In particular, we will use an approach known as Deliberative Polling. Under this approach, a random sample of participants are given access to information and expertise about the poll's subject matter and take part in facilitated group discussions about the issues at stake charts. Participants' attitudes and knowledge are measured via a self-completion questionnaire both before and after the deliberation. As a result, the approach not only identifies whether the balance of public opinion changes in the wake of the deliberation, but also why and amongst which kinds of voters. This makes it possible to identify the arguments and considerations that are likely to prove persuasive as and when voters become better informed about a subject. Using this approach, we will be able to ascertain the extent to which any prior differences of outlook between Remain and Leave voters are weakened or reinforced as a result of deliberation, and thus whether they are or are not likely to be perpetuated in future debates about public policy. At the same time, we will be able to inform policy-makers of the likely public reaction to the various policy choices that they are considering and advise the most effective way of presenting any particular policy option that they decide to pursue. Deliberative polling has so far largely been conducted face to face. In this project, however, a face to face poll held at a central UK location will be preceded by both a pilot and a full deliberative poll undertaken online using video communication. Although conducted a year apart, the structure of the deliberation in the two exercises will be similar, thereby facilitating the first ever systematic comparison of the impact of video-enhanced online and face to face deliberation.At each key stage, the project will produce briefings aimed primarily at non-academic audiences that outline its latest findings. The results of each poll will then be reported in greater depth in chapters published in the annual British Social Attitudes report and in presentations given to policy-makers. The full findings of the project will be reported in academic articles and in a book. The research will be guided throughout by an Advisory Committee of academics and policy-makers with a view to ensuring that the deliberation is balanced and secures the confidence of all stakeholders.