The Slow Death of Pro-Europeanism in Britain

If Britain was to withdraw from the EU,it would actually bring the policy in line with the dominant narratives that have accompanied the practices of Britain in Europe since 1973.

Abstract

The paper investigates some of the most obvious causes of the slow death of pro-Europeanism in UK politics in its time as an EU member since 1973. It is partly about the continent rise of populist Euroscepticism and disillusionment with the European project more generally. However, there  are some particular aspects of the UK case which need attention. From mainstream political and media position at the time of the 1975 referendum on EEC membership, pro-Europeanism is now a minority pastime, and has come to be based on a minimalist case about the benefits of continued EU membership, but little more. In particular, the paper focuses on the ways in which British European policy thinking has been informed by an ‘outsider’ tradition of thinking about ‘Europe’ in British foreign policy, dating from imperial times to the present. Paradoxically, the paper argues, if Britain was to withdraw from the EU,it would actually bring the policy in line with the dominant narratives that have accompanied the practices of Britain in Europe since 1973.

Speaker

Dr Oliver Daddow, University of Nottingham

PhD and MA are very welcome and encouraged to attend.

There will be an opportunity for networking after the talk.