Chapter 10. England and Wales

Abstract

This chapter analyses the discourse of supporters of the populist Brexit Party, as it manifested itself on Instagram during the campaign for the 2019 European elections. Based on eleven posts with high numbers of comments and replies, it shows how supporters use social actor representation, evaluation and violence metaphors to create a scenario in which the EU and its representatives oppress the British people, mainstream parties betray the interests of the people and the Brexit Party and its leader saves them from both. Original posts are recontextualised by intensifying their message, by negatively evaluating EU officials and rival parties, or by answering rhetorical questions in the original post. During the EU election campaign, Brexit Party supporters shed their victim status and reclaim agency through voting. Both support and voting decisions become an expression of British identity where the perceived oppression and treason are extended to the homeland as a whole, metonymically conflating Leave voters with Britain, and are linked to historical narratives.