Description
Investigating the 2016 EU Referendum in the UK, The Language of Brexit explores the ways in which 'Brexit' campaigners utilised language more persuasively than their 'Remain' counterparts. Drawing parallels with effective political discourse used worldwide, this book highlights the linguistic features of an increasingly popular style of political campaigning. Concentrating on the highly successful and emotive linguistic strategies employed by the Brexit campaigners against the comparatively lacklustre Remain camp, Buckledee makes a case for the contribution of language towards the narrow 52-48% Brexit victory. Using primary examples, what emerges is how urging people to have the courage to make a bid for freedom naturally invokes more grandiloquent language, powerful metaphors and rousing partisan tone than a campaign which, on balance, argues that it's best to simply stick with the status quo. Examining the huge amount of discourse generated before, during and since the June 2016 EU Referendum, The Language of Brexit looks into the role language played in the democratic process and the influence and impact it had on electors, leading to an unexpected result and uncertain future.
The British Referendum on EU Membership has divided a nation, and much of it played out in the discourse of a viciously biased news media and the political arena. This is a powerful and linguistically informed analysis of what was said, why it was said and how it achieved its effects.
About the Author
Steve Buckledee is a Researcher/Lecturer in English language and linguistics at the University of Cagliari, Italy.
Reviews
Insightful ... [and] fittingly succinct ... [It] explains how the emotive language used by Brexiteers in 2016 overpowered the Remainers' rhetorical hedging. * The Daily Telegraph *
Enlightening. * Sam Leith, Prospect *
Highly engaging ... [The book] has succeeded in giving an all in all concise overview of the linguistic and discourse strategies that were employed by both sides in the referendum to persuade voters ... Contributes greatly to our understanding of the role that language played in one of the most heated and longest public debates in the UK in the past few decades ... Its insights could help readers to interpret the ongoing verbal battles with greater con?dence and a better informed critical eye. * English Text Construction *
All chapters are extremely well written, never tedious, often outright amusing, and there is something for everyone ... This book appears to be written for a wide audience and has indeed the merit of being highly accessible, without needing any sort of background in linguistics ... The Language of Brexit should be mandatory reading beyond academia, for press officers, speech writers and politicians, especially those involved in the disastrous pro-Remain campaign. * CADAAD Journal *
This is forensic linguistic analysis set within a detailed account of the referendum campaigns. It is discourse analysis at its best, with the political context clearly interwoven with the linguistic choices. While rigorous, the book is also extremely accessible. It would be an excellent and accessible text for undergraduates. It is a book to alert the general public to the way 'truth' is constructed in discourse. It is a timely book and, in an era of growing populism, it prompts readers to deconstruct and challenge what they are told by their politicians and journalists. * Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development *
A timely contribution to the understanding of the discursive mechanism that contributes to the victory for the pro-Brexit camp ... Affords useful insights into the discursive mechanism of an ongoing and significant social event. * Discourse & Communication *
Just how influential is mediated language in crucial and complex democratic popular decisions? That is the question at the heart of a fascinating new book ... This is the sort of book we might reasonably expect to have been written by a scholar of media, journalism or politics, but Buckledee demonstrates a sure hand on covering both the politics and the journalism involved in this still controversial issue. Indeed ... it is remarkably readable for non-expert linguistics and the general reader. * Journal of Language and Politics *
This excellent volume represents a timely and insightful contribution to the ongoing analysis of a referendum that divided a nation, continues to cast a shadow over political debate in Britain and is likely to have repercussions for years to come both at a national and at an international level. Technical terminology is clearly defined and exemplified, so the detailed, accurate and penetrating linguistic investigations offered are perfectly accessible to readers with little or no background in discourse analysis, while the texts quoted amply and cogently demonstrate the contrasting approaches to language use adopted by Leave and Remain supporters during the sometimes rancorous referendum campaign, thereby uncovering the crucial though implicit socio-political implications such divergent uses give rise to. -- John Douthwaite, Full Professor of English Language, University of Genoa, Italy
This book is an impressive scholarly achievement that makes a major contribution to a better understanding of both Brexit, its causes and consequences and the persuasive power of language in determining the outcome of the Referendum. Steve Buckledee relates language use to the wider socio-political and historical context of Britain in the post-war period, leading up to the Referendum of 2016. His analysis of the language of Brexit and the use of his own language reveal a linguist's ear for the subtleties of expression, and a profound understanding of British political discourse and the British mindset. The book promotes comprehension of the complexity of British politics and the deep divisions of the Remain and Leave campaigns. It is of great interest and benefit for researchers, analysts, teachers and students alike. -- Anita Naciscione, Professor of Cognitive Stylistics, Latvian Academy of Culture, Latvia
Using a clear set of analytical tools, Buckledee compares the rhetorical language of the Leave and Remain camps during the 'Brexit' referendum debate. He then discusses the historical and social-political factors that led to the corrosion of a Pro-Europeanism that had been a centrist force in British politics. The overall analysis shows how the Brexiteers tapped into popular belief and emotional groundswell concerning national pride, anxiety over immigration and loss of secure employment, dislike of the EU and much more. This rhetoric proved to be far more persuasive than the Remainers' lacklustre economic forecasts. A lucid, compelling and timely book. -- Geoffrey Gray, Researcher in English Language and Translation, Faculty of Humanities, University of Cagliari, Italy
A timely, well-documented analysis of the role that language has played in one of the key political developments of our uncertain times. -- Alessandro Carlucci, MHRA Research Associate, University of Oxford, UK
Brexiteers and Remain supporters alike should read The Language of Brexit. While politicians and historians are at pains to articulate the reasons behind this once-in-a-lifetime event, Steve Buckledee, an academic, linguist and novelist, took it upon himself to analyse the relevant public discourse and the linguistic tools that paved the way for Brexit. This book offers an intellectually honest, highly engaging and readable insight into the mass-media supported manipulation of what we once considered to be a monolithic 'reality'. -- Nebojsa Radic, Director of the Cambridge University Language Programmes, University of Cambridge, UK
Buckledee's book is recommended because it serves as a convincing reminder that, as in all matters of human affairs, words do matter. * Punctum *
Book Information
ISBN 9781350047969
Author Dr Steve Buckledee
Format Paperback
Page Count 240
Imprint Bloomsbury Academic
Publisher Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Weight(grams) 388g
The British Referendum on EU Membership has divided a nation, and much of it played out in the discourse of a viciously biased news media and the political arena. This is a powerful and linguistically informed analysis of what was said, why it was said and how it achieved its effects.
About the Author
Steve Buckledee is a Researcher/Lecturer in English language and linguistics at the University of Cagliari, Italy.
Reviews
Insightful ... [and] fittingly succinct ... [It] explains how the emotive language used by Brexiteers in 2016 overpowered the Remainers' rhetorical hedging. * The Daily Telegraph *
Enlightening. * Sam Leith, Prospect *
Highly engaging ... [The book] has succeeded in giving an all in all concise overview of the linguistic and discourse strategies that were employed by both sides in the referendum to persuade voters ... Contributes greatly to our understanding of the role that language played in one of the most heated and longest public debates in the UK in the past few decades ... Its insights could help readers to interpret the ongoing verbal battles with greater con?dence and a better informed critical eye. * English Text Construction *
All chapters are extremely well written, never tedious, often outright amusing, and there is something for everyone ... This book appears to be written for a wide audience and has indeed the merit of being highly accessible, without needing any sort of background in linguistics ... The Language of Brexit should be mandatory reading beyond academia, for press officers, speech writers and politicians, especially those involved in the disastrous pro-Remain campaign. * CADAAD Journal *
This is forensic linguistic analysis set within a detailed account of the referendum campaigns. It is discourse analysis at its best, with the political context clearly interwoven with the linguistic choices. While rigorous, the book is also extremely accessible. It would be an excellent and accessible text for undergraduates. It is a book to alert the general public to the way 'truth' is constructed in discourse. It is a timely book and, in an era of growing populism, it prompts readers to deconstruct and challenge what they are told by their politicians and journalists. * Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development *
A timely contribution to the understanding of the discursive mechanism that contributes to the victory for the pro-Brexit camp ... Affords useful insights into the discursive mechanism of an ongoing and significant social event. * Discourse & Communication *
Just how influential is mediated language in crucial and complex democratic popular decisions? That is the question at the heart of a fascinating new book ... This is the sort of book we might reasonably expect to have been written by a scholar of media, journalism or politics, but Buckledee demonstrates a sure hand on covering both the politics and the journalism involved in this still controversial issue. Indeed ... it is remarkably readable for non-expert linguistics and the general reader. * Journal of Language and Politics *
This excellent volume represents a timely and insightful contribution to the ongoing analysis of a referendum that divided a nation, continues to cast a shadow over political debate in Britain and is likely to have repercussions for years to come both at a national and at an international level. Technical terminology is clearly defined and exemplified, so the detailed, accurate and penetrating linguistic investigations offered are perfectly accessible to readers with little or no background in discourse analysis, while the texts quoted amply and cogently demonstrate the contrasting approaches to language use adopted by Leave and Remain supporters during the sometimes rancorous referendum campaign, thereby uncovering the crucial though implicit socio-political implications such divergent uses give rise to. -- John Douthwaite, Full Professor of English Language, University of Genoa, Italy
This book is an impressive scholarly achievement that makes a major contribution to a better understanding of both Brexit, its causes and consequences and the persuasive power of language in determining the outcome of the Referendum. Steve Buckledee relates language use to the wider socio-political and historical context of Britain in the post-war period, leading up to the Referendum of 2016. His analysis of the language of Brexit and the use of his own language reveal a linguist's ear for the subtleties of expression, and a profound understanding of British political discourse and the British mindset. The book promotes comprehension of the complexity of British politics and the deep divisions of the Remain and Leave campaigns. It is of great interest and benefit for researchers, analysts, teachers and students alike. -- Anita Naciscione, Professor of Cognitive Stylistics, Latvian Academy of Culture, Latvia
Using a clear set of analytical tools, Buckledee compares the rhetorical language of the Leave and Remain camps during the 'Brexit' referendum debate. He then discusses the historical and social-political factors that led to the corrosion of a Pro-Europeanism that had been a centrist force in British politics. The overall analysis shows how the Brexiteers tapped into popular belief and emotional groundswell concerning national pride, anxiety over immigration and loss of secure employment, dislike of the EU and much more. This rhetoric proved to be far more persuasive than the Remainers' lacklustre economic forecasts. A lucid, compelling and timely book. -- Geoffrey Gray, Researcher in English Language and Translation, Faculty of Humanities, University of Cagliari, Italy
A timely, well-documented analysis of the role that language has played in one of the key political developments of our uncertain times. -- Alessandro Carlucci, MHRA Research Associate, University of Oxford, UK
Brexiteers and Remain supporters alike should read The Language of Brexit. While politicians and historians are at pains to articulate the reasons behind this once-in-a-lifetime event, Steve Buckledee, an academic, linguist and novelist, took it upon himself to analyse the relevant public discourse and the linguistic tools that paved the way for Brexit. This book offers an intellectually honest, highly engaging and readable insight into the mass-media supported manipulation of what we once considered to be a monolithic 'reality'. -- Nebojsa Radic, Director of the Cambridge University Language Programmes, University of Cambridge, UK
Buckledee's book is recommended because it serves as a convincing reminder that, as in all matters of human affairs, words do matter. * Punctum *
Book Information
ISBN 9781350047969
Author Dr Steve Buckledee
Format Paperback
Page Count 240
Imprint Bloomsbury Academic
Publisher Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Weight(grams) 388g
