Current British immigration policies are unpopular. These policies would likely not be in place under purely British national politics because of the current Overton Window on immigration in Britain. Britons are very opposed to immigration. Nonetheless, the United Kingdom must comply with European Union common immigration policies. Immigration polls as the top issue relevant to voting on EU membership. It seems to me that many people approached the Brexit vote as an opportunity to implement their desired immigration policies.
I predict voters will push other countries to leave the EU if the nation is not aligned with their Overton Window on their top issue due to EU rules. This is a mild claim but it’s a more useful test for the EU’s longevity than pure popularity of the EU. It is possible “belonging to a supranational political body” will be a top issue with “no” holding the majority position. But we don’t tend to think that abstractly. This will play out vis a vis more concrete policy issues.
Thanks, Cousin. Well said. It will be interesting to see what happens next.
I will be following your blog closely. Thanks.