LONDON: Britain’s drawn-out drama around Brexit, which is set to take another twist on Tuesday, has featured a colourful cast of characters – crashing or catapulting their careers.
Here are some of the public figures who have played pivotal roles in events.
A eurosceptic member of the European Parliament and former leader of the UK Independence Party (UKIP), Farage has been campaigning to leave the European Union for 25 years.
A surge in support for his anti-establishment party helped force then-prime minister David Cameron into calling the 2016 referendum on Britain’s EU membership.
But Farage, a highly divisive figure even within the pro-Leave camp, was widely condemned for his focus on mass immigration.
Now outside UKIP, he is promising to return to politics, possibly with a new party, in the event of a “Brexit betrayal.”
The former foreign secretary and London mayor was a key figurehead in the official Leave campaign, urging Britain to “take back control” from Brussels.
His charisma won over many voters and ensured headlines – though not always for the right reasons.
After he pulled out of the PM race to replace Cameron, May made Johnson Britain’s top diplomat but his two-year stint in the role ended when he resigned over her Brexit strategy and now makes his case from the backbenches.
But he remains one of the country’s most recognisable characters, using his weekly column in The Daily Telegraph newspaper to assail May’s approach and is a proponent of leaving the EU without a deal.
Johnson has recently tamed his wild blonde locks, shrunk his waistline and gone public with his new partner, raising suspicions that he is lining himself up as a contender for the top job.
Prime minister for six years from 2010, Cameron made the decision to hold a referendum on EU membership and then led the Remain campaign.
When the country backed Brexit, he was left little choice but to stand down, admitting he could not be “the captain that steers our country to its next destination.”
Cameron has since stayed largely out of the limelight, making a rare comment that he did not regret calling the referendum but deeply regretted the Remain defeat and the ensuing problems.
The prime minister quietly supported Remain in the 2016 referendum but emerged as the “safe hands” candidate to lead the governing Conservatives after Cameron’s departure.
May vowed Britain would leave the single market and end freedom of movement, but her negotiating position was severely weakened when she decided to hold a snap general election in June 2017, which saw the Conservatives lose their parliamentary majority.
She has since faced near-constant rebellions and chastening defeats, but has somehow defied the odds and is still battling to get her legacy-defining deal though parliament.
But her grip on the process could be further weakened on Tuesday, if MPs vote to give themselves more control.
The veteran socialist was the surprise winner of a leadership election in the main opposition Labour Party in 2015. Corbyn was previously best known as a serial rebel against his party’s policies and his leftist views have often clashed with those of more centrist Labour MPs.
He faced an internal coup by his own MPs over his lukewarm support for Remain in the referendum on EU membership.
He survived thanks to the support of grassroots party members but has since been criticised by both the pro- and anti-EU camps for sitting on the fence over Brexit.
The veteran eurosceptic is seeking a general election but has resisted calls from his MPs and members to demand a second referendum, raising questions about what the party’s official position would be going into a campaign.
A businesswoman and leading anti-Brexit campaigner, Miller challenged the way the government was implementing Brexit – and scored a victory by winning MPs the right to vote on formally starting to leave the EU.
Despite facing abuse and threats, she then launched the “Best for Britain” anti-Brexit pressure group in April 2017, fundraising for pro-EU candidates in the June general election.
In 2018, she launched a campaign called “End the Chaos” that is pushing for a second referendum. -- AFP