The processes of transformation of Britain's national identity in the context of Brexit

The referendum on the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union, destiny for the future of Great Britain, Europe and the whole system of international relations, inevitably led to an exacerbation of the difficult for many years and even decades of painful issues that split the country's population. To such, undoubtedly, concerns the problem of national identity, almost throughout the entire duration of the stay of Britain in the EU, formed on the basis of opposing the attempts of the European Communities / European Union to form a common European identity. The article is based on the study of public opinion materials, the press, statements of politicians and experts, and is devoted to the transformation of the national identity of Great Britain, the integral element of which is Euroscepti-cism, in the conditions of the ongoing negotiations between London and Brussels on the country's exit from the European Union. Great Britain consistently rejected and accepted the essential initiatives of the "United Europe", aimed at building a common space in different spheres. For example, by signing the Single European Act in 1985 and agreeing to a single internal market, the country was not included in the Schengen Agreement and was sceptical of the freedom of movement of labor. British identity itself was strengthened in conditions of opposition to the attempts of the European Union to form a common European identity, one of the elements of which was "Europe without borders". Formed over many decades, Euroscepticism has become a key component of British national identity: pushing away from the continent, Britain became more united. The abolition of control over internal borders over time and a marked weakening at the external borders with the accession of the states of Central and Eastern Europe to the EU led to increased fears of British citizens about the beginning of uncontrolled immigration. It was the return of control over immigration from the EU countries that became one of the reasons for the victory of the Brexit supporters. The number of labor resources from the EU to the UK has been increasing in recent years, but it could not be called critical. In Britain, there is still a division of the population into opponents and supporters of Brexit. The government of T. May does not pedal the situation, stressing in every possible way that the will of the majority follows. The article concludes that despite the partial satisfaction of the demands of Brexit supporters during the first round of negotiations, the country is split and the question of the future of collective self-consciousness of Britain remains open.

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