The limits of Brexit prejudice

Abstract Since the Brexit referendum, two novel political identities, Leaver and Remainer, have gained political salience in the United Kingdom. Some work contends that Leavers and Remainers display great animus toward one another in ways similar to affective polarization (dislike of opposing partisans). However, it remains unclear whether the dislike is as deep as partisan affective polarization and whether these identities are still relevant several years after Brexit. Additionally, it is not known whether Brexit‐related animus is based more on in‐group favoritism or out‐group dislike. Using a survey experiment paradigm to assess different levels of prejudice (based on pre‐registered hypotheses), we find clear prejudice based on Brexit identity in 2019 that is almost unchanged in 2023. Both in‐group favoritism and out‐group animus appear to drive these tendencies, but out‐group animus's effects are more robust. Leavers and Remainers have different motivations for different manifestations of prejudice, but each displays both tendencies at times.