How using Critical Management Studies analysis has helped to influence key factors and improve public understanding about Brexit.
Based on a mode of analysis derived from his research on Critical Management Studies Professor Chris Grey used media and social media to reach the general public and a wide range of decision makers, opinion formers and communicators in politics, business and the media, leading to identifiable and documented influence on and change to practices. This included informing political decision making, influencing business and local government planning and client advice given by professionals, and shaping the way journalists covered Brexit both in the UK and abroad.
The Brexit Blog
The Brexit Blog written by Professor Grey, was launched in 2016 since when it has been visited approximately 4 Million times. The blog is accompanied by a dedicated Twitter feed, with around 42,000 followers providing links to a wide variety of sources of information to deliver a focussed and professional ‘information product’.
The readership includes thousands of senior figures in the media including TV news anchors, political editors, and reporters, politicians of all the main UK political parties and including present and past cabinet ministers, diplomats and business leaders in the UK and elsewhere, senior officials within the EU, as well as the general public and celebrities.
In a voluntary survey of readers of The Brexit Blog, 99% felt that it helped them to understand Brexit better and 96% said it explained Brexit more clearly than other sources they had accessed. A further 81% of respondents identified something that they had done differently as a result of reading the blog.
Source of expert information
Some of these writings appeared on the House of Commons Library pre-Referendum Reading List on UK-EU Relations 2013-2016, and the blog itself is listed as a source of expert information on the Northern Ireland Assembly website. The project has led to numerous appearances and quotations by Professor Grey as a Brexit expert by the BBC, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, ARD Germany, Financial Times, Times Ireland, Liberation, Prospect, CNN, Reuters and elsewhere. Expert input was provided into the preparation of a report on Brexit and the Irish border published by the European Conservatives and Reformists Group of MEPs in July 2018, and invited expert evidence was given to the Scottish Parliament in 2020
“Consistently outstanding analysis of Brexit” Jonathan Dimbleby, writer and broadcaster
“The best writer on Brexit” Chris Lockwood, Europe Editor, The Economist
"By far one of the best analysts of Brexit" Sarah Carey, The Times Ireland
“Best guy to follow on Brexit for intelligent analysis” Annette Dittert, London Bureau Chief ARD TV Germany
Professor Chris Grey (centre) with Razia Iqbal and Rob Watson of the BBC World Service, broadcasting live from College Green outside the Houses of Parliament during one of the crucial Brexit votes in 2019.
