The House | “Brings welcome clarity”: Mark Garnier reviews ‘Brexit: A Very British Civil War’

David Cameron and Boris Johnson | Image courtesy of: BBC/Zinc Television

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“Ten years ago! God! Amazing!” Nigel Farage MP at the opening of the BBC’s celebration of the Brexit referendum. And he’s right. It was, this June, a decade ago that we took one of the most consequential decisions of our generation, which was followed by years of hectic debate.

The BBC has done an excellent job, bringing together senior commentators and participants in that hectic battle back in 2026. Unlike many documentaries, Brexit: A Very British Civil War avoids the temptation to editorialise – it’s more a collection of first-hand accounts, brought together to build a clear narrative of a confusing campaign.

But for someone in the trenches of the campaign (on, as it turned out, the losing side), this provides a clear gathering of ideas. Like the British Tommy who, caught in a foxhole during the Battle of the Somme, has an extraordinary first-hand experience, it is only with the help of historians that we know what collectively happened. And that is what the BBC has successfully achieved.

For those of us involved, it sheds some light on a few myths and reveals some unknown elements. Boris has been much mocked for his two articles – one for remain, one for leave – rather unfairly, I always thought. But Boris Johnson’s honesty over his indecision is enlightening. It seems he really was battling with the question of which side to support.

Similarly, it was fascinating to listen to Jeremy Corbyn’s arguments that the free-market economy should not be trusted to deliver prosperity from inside the EU, relying more on state investment to generate growth rather than EU bodies.

But for me, it was, and always has been, a case of who had the best campaign.

There is no doubt about it, a programme like this can be just a little triggering

George Osborne argues that the debate fell into two simple camps. Remain was economic; leave was immigration. But I think it was even simpler than that, and the programmes make the point.

Dominic Cummings – love him or hate him – is a brilliant campaigner. Those of us backing remain banged on about the economic arguments – how much it would cost each person, what would happen to our economy, how being outside the customs union would damage trade with our closest trading partner. So, while remain made these complicated points, leave shouted “Take Back Control” a thousand times. And when remain raised this with the broadcasters at the time, they explained they were giving each side equal airtime. And the three-word-slogan tactic was to revisit us all a few years later, with an election campaign in 2019 calling to “Get Brexit Done”.

There is no doubt about it, a programme like this can be just a little triggering. Some of us – especially those on the government benches through 2016 up to early 2020 – still bear the scars, a touch of PTSD, and a desire to put it all behind us. And I imagine the BBC will have a series of 10-year anniversary programmes – Theresa May’s time in office, Boris’ rise to power. There’s a lot to go on, and the final quote from Boris suggests more to come: “It wasn’t our job to have a plan.”

But it was also a delight to see old footage of colleagues, especially Boris with his hair in order. Who knew he owned a comb?

Mark Garnier is Conservative MP for Wyre Forest

Brexit: A Very British Civil War

Narrated by: Laura Haddock

Directed by: Max Stern & Olivia Bernhardt Brogan

Broadcaster: BBC iPlayer