All quiet on the Brexit front? UK civil society before and after the UK’s referendum on membership of the EU

The UK’s exit from the European Union (EU) raises many questions and fears about the future shape of European politics and the rise of right-wing populism across the Union. The roles and deeds of political parties, the official referendum campaigning groups and the media during the run up to the vote in June 2016 have all been the subject of analysis. Yet the role of civil society during the campaign and after the vote has not been the subject of much discussion. The absence of different types of civil society groups (both organised groups and citizen movements) from the debate about the referendum is understandable given their relative silence during the campaign. Yet there has been a noteworthy rise in civil society activities aimed at stopping and/or shaping the process of the UK’s exit from the EU (Brexit) since the vote. For this reason, a closer look at the subject seems warranted.