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Debate: Freedom, power and capacity—analysing the fallout from the UK’s ‘Brexit’ referendum

Lookup NU author(s): Professor Laurence Ferry, Dr Peter Eckersley

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Abstract

The sociologist Nikolas Rose (1999) in his influential book ‘Powers of Freedom – Reframing Political Thought’ suggests that today we demand to be governed in the name of ‘freedom’ and that this can take on forms of both power and resistance. The notion featured in the UK’s recent referendum on European Union membership, where those who advocated leaving the bloc argued that it would enable Parliament to regain its sovereign powers and – by extension – allow citizen to ‘take control’ of their own destiny. However, such extra freedoms have little instrumental value if actors (such as public institutions or citizens) do not have the capacity to take full advantage of them. Indeed, there is a risk that the referendum has raised public expectations about what governments are able to achieve to levels that cannot be met, which could have serious consequences for politics, governance and society. Such a scenario has wider applicability outside the specific context of the UK and its relationship with the EU.

Publication metadata

Author(s): Ferry L, Eckersley P

Publication type: Article

Publication status: Published

Journal: Public Money and Management

Year: 2017

Volume: 37

Issue: 1

Pages: 2-3

Online publication date: 24/11/2016

Acceptance date: 31/08/2016

Date deposited: 01/09/2016

ISSN (print): 0954-0962

ISSN (electronic): 1467-9302

Publisher: Routledge

URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09540962.2016.1249218

DOI: 10.1080/09540962.2016.1249218

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