Brexit
UK's 2020 departure from the European Union after the 2016 referendum.
Last refreshed: 10 April 2026
How does Brexit explain the political lineage of Reform UK in 2026?
Latest on Brexit
- What is the connection between Brexit and Reform UK?
- Reform UK evolved directly from the Brexit Party (2019), which itself was a relaunch of UKIP. Nigel Farage built the organisational and donor network through UKIP's EU campaigns, channelled it into the 2016 referendum, then used it to found and fund Reform UK.Source: Electoral Commission donation records and party histories
- How did Scotland and Wales vote differently in the Brexit referendum?
- Scotland voted 62% Remain and Wales voted 52.5% Leave. These divergent results continue to shape devolution politics: Scottish independence advocates use the Remain vote to argue Scotland is constitutionally overruled by England.Source: Electoral Commission 2016 referendum results
- When did the UK formally leave the European Union?
- The UK formally left the EU on 31 January 2020, following the 2016 referendum. The transition period ended on 31 December 2020, when the UK left the single market and customs union.Source: HM Government Brexit timeline
Background
Brexit refers to the United Kingdom's departure from the European Union, formally completed on 31 January 2020 following the 2016 referendum in which 51.9 per cent voted to leave. The referendum was the culmination of decades of Eurosceptic pressure within and outside the Conservative Party, most visibly channelled by UKIP under Nigel Farage, which secured 12.6 per cent of the vote in the 2015 general election and pressured David Cameron into calling the referendum. The UK completed the transition period on 31 December 2020, leaving the single market and customs union.
Brexit's political legacy is central to understanding Reform UK's rise. The Brexit Party (founded 2019) was the direct successor to UKIP, and Reform UK emerged in 2021 as its successor in turn. The through-line from UKIP to Brexit Party to Reform UK is the organisational and donor network that Nigel Farage built over 30 years. The Q4 2025 donation figures showing Reform at 27 times Labour's fundraising reflect how that network has been consolidated into a conventional political party with professional campaign infrastructure.
Beyond party lineage, Brexit reshaped UK devolution politics. The 2016 referendum exposed divergent national identities: Scotland voted 62 per cent Remain, Wales voted Leave. These fault lines continue to shape the Scottish independence debate and Welsh attitudes to Westminster in the 2026 election cycle.