‘People like that cannot be trusted’: populist and technocratic political styles, legitimacy, and distrust in the context of Brexit negotiations

Debates in and over the European Union (EU) are increasingly characterised as being based arguments that either ‘populist’ or ‘technocratic’. As systems of communication, this article argues, populism technocracy possess dramatically different logics argumentation, modes communication meaning-making, distinct narratives, with appeals to sources legitimacy. such, actors adopting political style construct their identity a way seeks legitimise its own action, while turn delegitimising opponents. This results an atmosphere distrust between using these styles, making any form negotiation cooperation them exceedingly difficult. In context Brexit negotiations, which uses case study, UK Government has adopted populist by narratives taking back control, legitimised will people, communicating often ‘low’ narrative crisis threat. comparison, EU technocratic technical policy need for rationality, through laws, rules processes it is governed, ‘high’ stability continuity. These radically views world have resulted increasing tensions parties negotiations were already heightened sense ‘betrayal’ Brexit.