World Jun 23, 2026 · 1 min read

‘Canaries in the coalmine of populism’: an oral history of the Brexit campaign, told by those with a front row seat

How five months in 2016 that encompassed Boris Johnson siding with Vote Leave, Jo Cox’s murder and David Cameron’s resignation shaped the UK’s futureDavid Cameron, having promised in 2013 that a future Conservative government would offer a referendum on Britain’s membership of the EU, announces the...

The Guardian

by Esther Addley. Interviews by Pippa Crerar, Rowena Mason, Jessica Elgot, Kiran Stacey, Alexandra Topping, Ben Quinn and Jennifer Rankin

‘Canaries in the coalmine of populism’: an oral history of the Brexit campaign, told by those with a front row seat

How five months in 2016 that encompassed Boris Johnson siding with Vote Leave, Jo Cox’s murder and David Cameron’s resignation shaped the UK’s future

David Cameron, having promised in 2013 that a future Conservative government would offer a referendum on Britain’s membership of the EU, announces the date of the vote: 23 June 2016. The next day, Boris Johnson, then the mayor of London, says he will campaign for leave.

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This article was originally published by The Guardian and written by Esther Addley. Interviews by Pippa Crerar, Rowena Mason, Jessica Elgot, Kiran Stacey, Alexandra Topping, Ben Quinn and Jennifer Rankin.

Read original article on The Guardian

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‘Canaries in the coalmine of populism’: an oral history of the Brexit campaign, told by those with a front row seat

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