What was David Cameron Thinking? Thoughts of a British Prime Minister Regarding Brexit

Abstract

The aim of my research is to examine what David Cameron, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, was thinking all the way through the process of the UK’s secession from the European Union: why he made certain decisions and what influenced him. In order to do that, I use speeches, parliamentary debates, and memoirs, including several interviews with the former PM. The research methodology primarily uses the tools of discourse analysis: I examine the semantic elements, words, sentences and other characteristics of the political discourse, paying attention to the strategic structure of speech modes. By interpreting his political thinking and analysing his speeches, I wish to examine the impact of this leading politician on his own party’s and the electorate’s views on the EU. Understanding this can help to interpret the relationship between Britain and Europe, and perhaps in part, give an answer as to why the British chose to continue outside the Union. Based on this, we can also try to assess what this relationship will look like in the future.