Larner, Jac  ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5171-8851, Griffiths, James David and Wincott, Daniel ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9287-2150
2026.
Reshaping belonging: national identity change in post-referendum Britain.
British Journal of Political Science
56
, e49.
10.1017/S0007123426101653
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Abstract
National identity is usually treated as a stable driver of political behaviour, yet we know little about whether it responds to major political events. We examine how two pivotal electoral events – the 2014 Scottish Independence Referendum and the 2016 EU Referendum – were associated with changes in citizens’ sense of national belonging. Using the 2014–2025 British Election Study Internet Panel, we show that both referendums precipitated significant shifts in national identification, primarily among those on the losing side. Post-referendum changes in Scotland proved temporary, but among Remain voters British identification fell substantially and remained depressed through 2025, with the gap between winners and losers widening over time. These findings suggest national identity is more event-sensitive than commonly assumed, and that divisive referendums may leave durable marks on how citizens in multinational states relate to the state by eroding shared national sentiment.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Date Type: | Publication |
| Status: | Published |
| Schools: | Schools > Department of Politics and International Relations (POLIR) |
| Publisher: | Cambridge University Press |
| ISSN: | 0007-1234 |
| Funders: | ESRC |
| Projects: | ES/R007500/1 |
| Date of First Compliant Deposit: | 8 June 2026 |
| Date of Acceptance: | 7 April 2026 |
| Last Modified: | 25 Sep 2026 09:44 |
| URI: | https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/187285 |
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