Brexit dan Referendum Keahlian Kesatuan Eropah 2016: Implikasi terhadap landskap politik United Kingdom (Brexit and the 2016 European Union Membership Referendum: Implication on United Kingdom political landscape)

Mohd Irwan Syazli Saidin, Muhammad Alif Azrai Norizan

Abstract


Artikel ini meneliti implikasi Brexit dan Referendum Keahlian Kesatuan Eropah (EU) 2016 terhadap lanskap politik United Kingdom. Perbincangan kajian meliputi sejarah perkembangan isu Brexit, latar belakang Referendum 2016 serta analisis keputusan pilihan pengundi dan beberapa isu politik post-truth yang menjadi perdebatan pasca referendum. Kajian dijalankan menggunakan kaedah pemerhatian langsung serta analisis dokumen primer dan sekunder seperti warta rasmi kerajaan, Hansard parlimen, laporan media dan badan penyelidikan bebas, kenyataan pemimpin politik dan penulisan ilmiah. Keputusan referendum memperlihatkan pendirian rakyat UK yang berbelah bahagi di mana 51.9 peratus pengundi memilih untuk UK meninggalkan keahlian EU dan menyokong kempen Brexit manakala 48.1 peratus mahu UK kekal sebagai ahli EU. Dapatan kajian menjelaskan terdapat beberapa faktor utama yang menyumbang kepada kerencaman pola pengundian rakyat UK terhadap keputusan referendum iaitu perbezaan lokaliti dan demografi, jurang pendidikan dan tahap sosio-ekonomi, perbezaan pendirian pemimpin kanan parti politik utama di England dan Scotland serta pengaruh sentimen Euroscepticism, khusus terhadap polemik jumlah sumbangan tahunan UK kepada EU dan ancaman Islamisasi melalui penyertaan Turki sebagai ahli baharu EU. Kemenangan kempen Leave pasca Referendum 2016 meninggalkan dua kesan utama kepada lanskap politik UK. Pertama, berlaku peningkatan terhadap populariti dan aktivisme parti politik dan gerakan haluan kanan seperti UK Independence Party (UKIP), British National Party (BNP) dan English Defence League (EDL). Kedua, perkembangan politik populisme yang didorong oleh sentimen xenofobia dan Islamofobia dilihat semakin berleluasa sebagai kempen untuk menarik sokongan rakyat disamping turut menyumbang kepada peningkatan kadar jenayah kebencian (hate-crime) yang disasarkan kepada golongan minoriti dan imigran.

Kata Kunci: Implikasi, pasca Brexit, politik United Kingdom, populism, post-truth, Referendum EU 2016

This article examines the implication of Brexit and the 2016 European Union (EU) membership referendum on United Kingdom (UK) political landscape. Discussion includes historical development of Brexit, background to the 2016 Referendum as well as analysis on voters’ choices and several debated issues of post-truth politics in the post-referendum. The study was conducted via direct observation and analysis of primary and secondary documents, such as official records, Hansard, independent body and media reports, political statements and academic publication. The referendum outcome reveals split standpoints within the UK citizens as 51.9 percent voters had opted the UK to leave the EU membership and supported Brexit campaign, while 48.1 percent voters wanted to remain. The findings explain key contributed factors of diversed votes by the citizens among which are locality and demography, education gap and socio-economic level, attitudes of main party leaders in England and Scotland, as well as the influence of Euroscepticism sentiment, especially on the polemics of UK annual contribution to the EU and Islamisation threat via Turkey-EU membership accession. The success of Leave campaign leaves two major political consequences. First, there has been an increase in popularity and activism of far right parties and movements, for instance the UK Independence Party (UKIP), the British National Party (BNP) dan the English Defence League (EDL). Secondly, the development of populism politics, driven by xenophobia and Islamophobia, is seen to have gained momentum to attract general support, apart from contributing to the increased hate-crime rates that targeting minorities and immigrants.

Keywords: Implication, post Brexit, United Kingdom politics, populism, post-truth, 2016 EU referendum


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