Polling done by Ashcroft suggests a high correlation between people who thought that multiculturalism was a “force for ill” and a vote in favour Brexit. Nonetheless, very little research has been...Show morePolling done by Ashcroft suggests a high correlation between people who thought that multiculturalism was a “force for ill” and a vote in favour Brexit. Nonetheless, very little research has been carried out on providing explanations to this relationship. Thusly, my research paper attempts to analyse how UKIP framed multiculturalism before and during the Brexit campaign (from 2015-2016) by conducting a political discourse analysis. My findings suggest that UKIP framed multiculturalism as a failed policy that was to blame for the perceived lack of integration of minorities communities in British society. Furthermore, this backlash to multiculturalism led to a defining of British identity through the “othering” of these same communities, and a fervent rejection of Islam. Lastly, the framing of multiculturalism as a failed policy also creates the “othering” of the political establishment (who support multiculturalism), thus continuing the discourse of the “people” against the “elite”.Show less
