The UK 'othered'? External perceptions of Brexit

Brexit significantly altered external perceptions of the UK. In the case of Brexit, perceptions developed in ways that largely escaped the UK government’s control given the absence of a compelling diplomatic narrative on the part of the British government. These perceptions implied an ‘othering’ of the UK in the eyes of external constituencies, a process reinforced by British government positions which amounted to an exercise in differentiation by design. This article analyses the significance, for the UK’s future status, role and identity, of the views held by key Brexit stakeholders including EU Member States and the United States. It finds that most perceptions were formed early, that these were continually calibrated alongside the UK’s actions on non-Brexit developments such as the COVID-19 pandemic, and that the wilful self-othering undertaken by the UK has had ramifications for the UK’s domestic politics as well as its international relations.