Reflecting on 10 years of the Brexit referendum at the European Institute
To mark the 10-year anniversary of the Brexit referendum, we are curating a collection of videos, blogs, and events featuring experts on Europe from the LSE European Institute and beyond, drawing on their respective expertise to share reflections on the vote which forever altered the course of British and European politics.
Join us to reflect on the impact of Brexit, 10 years on.
Videos
In the Brexit hot seat: 10 years, 10 experts
We are delighted to present an exclusive interview series, In the Brexit hot seat, featuring 10 voices from the LSE European Institute, including key organisers of our LSE 2016 Referendum Night at the time.
Featuring:
- Kevin Featherstone on how LSE shaped the Brexit debate in London and beyond
- Sara Hobolt on how Brexit has impacted British party politics
- Simon Glendinning on what went wrong with the UK's remain campaign
- Marta Lorimer on how Brexit has shaped the political agenda of far right parties in the EU
- Nicholas Barr on the Brexit blog which crashed the LSE server 10 years ago
- Yaprak Gürsoy on evolving Turkish-UK relations and Turkish scapegoating in the Leave campaign
- Eiko Thielemann on how Brexit has shaped UK migration and asylum governance
#EuropeDay 2026: Our students reflect on Brexit
Blogs
The EUROPP blog Brexit anniversary collection
Watch this space to discover reflections from our academics on Brexit, written as part of the LSE European Politics (EUROPP) blog's 10-year Brexit anniversary collection, launching from 15 June 2026.
LSE and the Brexit referendum
The EU referendum was a time of immense activity at LSE, with a comprehensive set of events and publications helping the public make sense of the campaign. Ten years on, Professor Kevin Featherstone OBE reflects on how LSE navigated the referendum and what the legacy of Brexit has been for both the university and wider society.
Britain, Brexit and the spectre of Empire
Britain’s relationship with Europe has a complex history, of which Brexit is merely the latest development. Ten years on from the EU referendum, Professor Simon Glendinning writes that Brexit represented the final, painful collapse of Britain’s post-war imperial imagination, extinguishing the hope of Britain finding a post-Empire identity within the EU.
The Brexit decade – Britain, Europe and the question of political identity
What is the enduring legacy of the UK’s decision to leave the European Union? Dr Vera Spyrakou writes that one of the great ironies of Brexit is that it has underlined Britain and Europe’s interdependence.
Eight reasons why the UK will not rejoin the EU in my lifetime
Polling suggests most UK voters think Brexit was a mistake, but what prospect is there of Britain rejoining the EU? Professor Iain Begg lists eight reasons why rejoining is highly unlikely to happen in his lifetime.
Brexit – a bad idea then, a bad idea now
Was the UK’s decision to leave the European Union a mistake? Revisiting arguments he made during the referendum campaign in 2016, Professor Nicholas Barr argues Brexit has had a profound negative impact on the country that was entirely foreseeable.
Public events
The Brexit effect: 2016-2026
Britain's decision to leave the European Union was perhaps the most divisive and consequential event of modern British politics. Anthony Seldon’s new book, The Brexit Effect, brings together an unprecedented roll call of Brexit insiders and commentators on both sides of the debate to analyse why the referendum happened, how Brexit became law and its impact on every corner of British life, concluding with a range of perspectives on how Britain might make the most of the opportunities now available to it.
Thursday 16 July 2026 6.30pm - 8pm
Speakers: Steve Baker was previously MP for Wycombe for 14 years, including serving as a minister in the Cabinet Office, the Northern Ireland Office and the Department for Exiting the EU; Anand Menon is Professor of European Politics and Foreign Affairs at King’s College London. He is the Director of UK In A Changing Europe; Anthony Seldon is the country's top political historian and acknowledged national authority on all matters to do with the Government and Number 10; and Madeleine Sumption is the Director of the Migration Observatory at the University of Oxford, which provides impartial analysis of migration in the UK;
Chair: Professor Tony Travers is Professor in Practice in the LSE Department of Government, Associate Dean of the LSE School of Public Policy and Director of LSE London.
Hosted by the LSE European Institute.
Looking back
LSE Commission on the Future of Britain in Europe
The LSE Commission on the Future of Britain in Europe aimed to inform the national debate on Britain’s membership of the European Union, with high quality, evidence-based and balanced analysis. It aimed to meet the public need for reliable information in the run-up to the national referendum on the renegotiated terms of Britain’s EU membership, which was held on Thursday 23 June 2016.
LSE Referendum Night 2016
On Thursday 23 June 2016, the UK went to the polls to vote in the referendum on the UK's membership of the EU. The LSE European Institute, in partnership with The UK in a Changing Europe, organised a Referendum Night event at LSE. The evening included commentaries and debates between LSE academics and external experts as the first results were reported from across the nation.
LSE Programme: Brexit and Beyond
Running from 2016 until 2021, the LSE Programme: Brexit and Beyond was a dedicated series to stimulate the public debate and informed discussion about this most pivotal topic.
LSE Continental Breakfasts
As part of the LSE Programme: Brexit and Beyond, the LSE Continental Breakfasts brought together LSE’s most renowned academic experts with a diverse group of insightful and influential people via a number of private meetings held regularly, at LSE as well as in other major European cities. The Breakfasts were seminar-style and with open discussion under Chatham House Rule. The issues raised in the discussions were collected into reports, which are available via the LSE Brexit Blog.
LSE Brexit Blog
Thoroughly dedicated to a constantly up-to-date thematic coverage, LSE Brexit was a multidisciplinary, evidence-based blog run by the LSE. Its aim was to inform the debate on Britain’s exit from the European Union with accessible commentary and research.