Ten years after the Brexit vote resulted in Britain’s decision to leave the EU, the BBC looks back at the build-up to the decisive vote with a two-part documentary series Brexit: A very British civil war.
The documentary begins with the election of David Cameron as UK Prime Minister in 2015. Cameron famously promised to allow a referendum on Britain’s place in the EU as part of his campaign for the premiership.
The new documentary will be shown in two parts – the first episode at 9pm on Monday 8 June and the second a week later at 9pm on Monday 15 June. The documentary features interviews with major political figures, such as former prime ministers David Cameron and Boris Johnson, as well as Nigel Farage, George Osborne and Michael Gove.
The series is directed by Max Stern, who also directed the 2023 BBC miniseries Putin vs the Westand produced by veteran documentarian Norma Percy, who in a 40-year career has produced dozens of documentaries, with a particular focus on the Middle East and global politics.
That’s how you see Brexit: A very British civil war online anywhere.
How to watch Brexit: A Very British Civil War in the UK for free
How to watch Brexit: A Very British Civil War from anywhere
If Brexit: A very British civil war Sounds like it’s right up your alley, but you won’t be in the UK when it goes live. Your access to the show may be geo-blocked. You can use a VPN to access BBC iPlayer while you’re abroad (but check first that you’re not breaking any terms and conditions). You might be surprised at how easy it is to set up, and we’ve got a great deal on our pick of the best VPN:
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Using a VPN to watch Brexit: A very British civil war is easy with our practical guide:
- Download and install a VPN: Our top pick is NordVPN, but any of the top VPNs will work
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- Go to BBC iPlayer: Go to the BBC iPlayer website or app.
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How to watch Brexit: A Very British Civil War around the world
How to watch Brexit: A Very British Civil War in other countries
There are no confirmed plans to bring Brexit: A very British civil war to the US, Canada, Australia or other countries yet – we’ll update this page if it becomes available in other regions.
For UK residents traveling abroad, you can use a VPN to access BBC iPlayer – see our handy guide above to get set up.
Brexit FAQ: A Very British Civil War
Brexit: A Very British Civil War Episode Guide
Section 1: David Cameron’s victory in the 2015 general election sets the stage for a referendum on Britain’s place in the EU. Meanwhile, Nigel Farage begins campaigning for Brexit.
Section 2: Cameron and allies such as Chancellor George Osborne are campaigning on an economic platform to try to keep Britain in the EU. Mayor of London Boris Johnson is fighting for the opposite as Farage’s own Leave campaign builds momentum.
Who is interviewed in Brexit: A Very British Civil War?
According to the Radio Times’ interview with series producer Norma Percy, the series features interviews with all the major figures involved in the campaign – except for one elusive source the team couldn’t track down.
Interviewees include:
David Cameron – Prime Minister, 2010 – 2016, Minister of Foreign Affairs 2023 – 2024
Boris Johnson – Mayor of London, 2008 – 2016, Prime Minister, 2019 – 2022
Nigel Farage – UKIP leader, 2006 – 2009 & 2010 – 2016, Reform UK leader, 2024 – present
George Osborne – Chancellor of the Exchequer, 2010 – 2016
Michael Gove – Various ministerial offices, 2010 – 2024
Peter Mandelson – Various ministerial offices, 1997 – 2004, 2025
Who wouldn’t be interviewed for Brexit: A Very British Civil War?
The same Radio Times interview mentioned above reveals that the documentary crew were denied an interview with former government adviser Dominic Cummings for Brexit: A very British civil war.
Cummings was most famous as an adviser to Boris Johnson before and during the COVID pandemic, where he was found to be breaking lockdown rules.
Most relevant to this documentary, however, is his role as director of the Vote Leave campaign in the run-up to Brexit – but Cummings ‘firmly’ refused to take part in the new series.
Brexit: A Very British Civil War – see here
Here is the link to watch Brexit: A very British civil war when the first episode goes live at 9pm on Monday 8 June.
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