In the short space of time since the Brexit referendum, not a great deal seems to have changed in the realm of British politics. David Cameron is no longer Prime Minister, but we still have a Conservative government. Labour remains in opposition, with Jeremy Corbyn still at the helm.
Looking ahead, however, a lot could change. Once Britain has left the EU, we will no longer be bound by the dictates of the European Union or its agencies. We will still be bound by the dictates of the European Court of Human Rights, however, as that is an agency of the Council of Europe - an organisation which Britain has not yet voted to leave.
Another important point to note is that Britain will no longer have MEPs once Brexit has been achieved. There will be no more European Parliament elections, as a result of which there will be one fewer set of elections conducted under a system of proportional representation.
It is possible that UKIP will cease to exist following Brexit, but I don't expect many people will be upset. For example UKIP councillors can easily defect to another party, and thereby probably improve their chances of re-election.
Immigration will remain a big issue as there is no reason to think that Theresa May will limit immigration merely because it is easier for her to do so. I therefore expect at least one anti-immigration party to enjoy some prominence in the year ahead, although not nearly enough to make a difference.
It is almost a truism of politics that you do not need to win power in order to exert an influence, and this is certainly true of UKIP. It is no secret that David Cameron promised a referendum in order to stem the flow of support from his party to UKIP.
On immigration however it is a different matter. In 2009, the British National Party had two MEPs, a London assembly member, and around one hundred councillors. So far as I can make out, the only response to this from the establishment was to set up a parliamentary committee which did not achieve anything and was probably never intended to.
Related previous posts include:
Who murdered Jo Cox?
The power of the people
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