Britain's Brexit Breakup
by Steve Bloom
Britain’s Brexit Breakup is a video and photography project by Steve Bloom. It portrays the fractious divisions in British society that have erupted since the 2016 referendum when voters chose, by a small majority, to leave the European Union. Leaving is a political minefield that has split the nation and spurred a rise in nationalism and populism. Remainers argue that electoral laws were broken, the public were conned and leaving will have disastrous economic and social consequences. Leavers want to cut all obligations to the European Union and face the outcome. The word ‘Brexit’ was invented by Peter Wilding, Chairman of British Influence in 2012. He has since written that Brexit could “sadly be an epitaph for the nation’s decline and fall”.
This short 4 minute teaser film is made up of undirected, spontaneous clips – some sights and sounds captured on the streets of London and the Kent coast.
I am a British and European citizen, originally from South Africa, who has lived in the United Kingdom for forty-four years. During the 1970s I photographed conditions people were living in under the apartheid system of racial segregation, resulting in my exile from South Africa. A selection of those images can be seen here. For many years I worked as a wildlife photographer, portraying our fragile and beautiful natural world. I have had fifteen books on wildlife and African cultures published. My giant outdoor exhibition, Spirit of the Wild, has been shown in numerous European cities. More about me and my work at stevebloomphoto.com
![Nigel Nott, campaigning in the rain to remain](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/1e79c1b0-349a-47fd-a0ac-d528f37a2ead/d6ff9206-0642-490e-a6a3-2b0c18f6f148_rw_1200.jpg?h=c7be62c45afade08f0ce758eac02588b)
Nigel Nott, campaigning in the rain to remain
![Effigies of Brexit instigators](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/1e79c1b0-349a-47fd-a0ac-d528f37a2ead/d02d7822-56e3-447c-9fa9-58db0c8c86b8_rw_1200.jpg?h=bc4e48dad236f02646e71c1b37bc2157)
Effigies of Brexit instigators
![Brexit supporter](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/1e79c1b0-349a-47fd-a0ac-d528f37a2ead/af741bdb-1182-4fa6-9fd2-b012503c1643_rw_1200.jpg?h=c5d4a45d40bcb1a5ff828cfe26342f81)
Brexit supporter
![Steve Bray and fellow 'remain' protesters sheltering from the rain](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/1e79c1b0-349a-47fd-a0ac-d528f37a2ead/15eedd86-9d57-4786-9305-0f10b91e1620_rw_1200.jpg?h=8be469f021297bc0f5ce1170c3728265)
Steve Bray and fellow 'remain' protesters sheltering from the rain
![Anti-Brexit campaigner Femi Oluwole gazes thoughtfully at France, with the white cliffs of Dover behind him.](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/1e79c1b0-349a-47fd-a0ac-d528f37a2ead/94fbaec9-8fb3-4982-872e-455414086052_rw_1200.jpg?h=dd347cf5f831bfdcfba7561df005b487)
Anti-Brexit campaigner Femi Oluwole gazes thoughtfully at France, with the white cliffs of Dover behind him.
![Speaking for the grandparents against Brexit](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/1e79c1b0-349a-47fd-a0ac-d528f37a2ead/3fec0c8f-f19d-4b78-88ad-f8115e7a69dc_rw_1200.jpg?h=214c7b82096ad9d6c53881c7521abb63)
Speaking for the grandparents against Brexit
![Leave and remain, not seeing eye to eye](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/1e79c1b0-349a-47fd-a0ac-d528f37a2ead/362d61f9-df7d-42a6-838f-04922d844dfc_rw_1200.jpg?h=88dbf0410e86a9a931896774b0bbcd80)
Leave and remain, not seeing eye to eye
![No-deal leave-supporting protester](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/1e79c1b0-349a-47fd-a0ac-d528f37a2ead/f8894011-3cd2-471b-b5dd-8b753eea99a2_rw_1200.jpg?h=79fefa0d82ca84e132206fe3d31966f3)
No-deal leave-supporting protester
![Westminster Bridge, at a Leave rally](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/1e79c1b0-349a-47fd-a0ac-d528f37a2ead/36e31754-5ddb-4dd7-8a7f-81f568c97fb3_rw_1200.jpg?h=095de1f4137e9d05d9ff8103bd477807)
Westminster Bridge, at a Leave rally
![Photographers outside Parliament take advantage of a puddle](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/1e79c1b0-349a-47fd-a0ac-d528f37a2ead/6782b20d-ba40-4787-9f19-4e1f0cf5e81f_rw_1200.jpg?h=2878e93e1366b9353f496cdea5a8a660)
Photographers outside Parliament take advantage of a puddle
![Britain, divided by Brexit](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/1e79c1b0-349a-47fd-a0ac-d528f37a2ead/631e44ad-26c4-463a-bad7-8c5d0a411cc0_rw_1200.jpg?h=230d39b819184ab788d7c61ab95d5cf9)
Britain, divided by Brexit
![Liar liar, you pants are on fire.](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/1e79c1b0-349a-47fd-a0ac-d528f37a2ead/3ca00d2b-aa34-425e-986a-01ff2e31bb76_rw_1200.jpg?h=fc822627364ed7e2327255d4b842b122)
Liar liar, you pants are on fire.
![Remainers launch bagpipes attack against the Government](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/1e79c1b0-349a-47fd-a0ac-d528f37a2ead/585fd6bf-e420-4496-86e7-7060369c2dac_rw_1200.jpg?h=3dfde91804635adac39e3e392afebc0e)
Remainers launch bagpipes attack against the Government
![Supporter of far-right Tommy Robinson](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/1e79c1b0-349a-47fd-a0ac-d528f37a2ead/b7a59612-6ea2-4f58-adca-2503d212ea9a_rw_1200.jpg?h=4cceffee2cf75fb6ad2cb592f481016c)
Supporter of far-right Tommy Robinson
![Freddy Vachha, Ukip's London regional chairman](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/1e79c1b0-349a-47fd-a0ac-d528f37a2ead/234c63e5-b5b9-4eb1-b43c-faf27058c698_rw_1200.jpg?h=3309fba1ff6b79a94b5aa034a730d8a7)
Freddy Vachha, Ukip's London regional chairman
![Waiting on Parliament Square to hear Nigel Farage speak](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/1e79c1b0-349a-47fd-a0ac-d528f37a2ead/62ff9d82-726f-4514-9856-19b0c7f0d3df_rw_1200.jpg?h=f5d569617c5cdca6f847ddc9e163e635)
Waiting on Parliament Square to hear Nigel Farage speak
!["Traitors, scum, vermin" were expletives shouted this pro-Brexit protestor.](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/1e79c1b0-349a-47fd-a0ac-d528f37a2ead/a95cd6a4-d171-4c82-8bc2-19d1794c887b_rw_1200.jpg?h=9468e570cc06c21706fbd91a9779edb5)
"Traitors, scum, vermin" were expletives shouted this pro-Brexit protestor.
![Nigel Farage, Brexit Partly leader.](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/1e79c1b0-349a-47fd-a0ac-d528f37a2ead/83fed8f3-9808-4040-aec2-66ffd96ec823_rw_1200.jpg?h=81f9bb91ba56d92f1117fa858c81150d)
Nigel Farage, Brexit Partly leader.
![Leave supporters, infiltrated by a remainer with an EU flag](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/1e79c1b0-349a-47fd-a0ac-d528f37a2ead/c28857d9-d8e6-4cf4-bfbe-adc94748c7fd_rw_1200.jpg?h=de47014eacb9e40e71cdb69b9c076610)
Leave supporters, infiltrated by a remainer with an EU flag
![Leave rally at Parliament Square](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/1e79c1b0-349a-47fd-a0ac-d528f37a2ead/3987fd36-d7b4-4b45-99df-f9f00aae5e21_rw_1200.jpg?h=f8af2a9ab1e83cab103b6c18825ede68)
Leave rally at Parliament Square
![Remain protestors](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/1e79c1b0-349a-47fd-a0ac-d528f37a2ead/cdd3eecc-601b-44a9-8b04-41957fd630c3_rw_1200.jpg?h=ba74cd9a806fd876ff2958ba9728897b)
Remain protestors
![Jacob Rees-Mogg and anti-Brexit placard](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/1e79c1b0-349a-47fd-a0ac-d528f37a2ead/11f27377-26f4-4a92-af24-b55876cda84d_rw_1200.jpg?h=636db81919b10c8f6ae776338a0e4e34)
Jacob Rees-Mogg and anti-Brexit placard
Thank you!