Britain and the European Union

This engaging and concise text offers the student and the general reader a compact, readable treatment of British membership of the European Union from 1973 to the present day. It provides a highly distilled and accessible analysis and overview of some of the parameters and recurring features of Britain’s membership of the European Union, touching on all of the major facets of membership. Key features: - examines the constant and changing character of British membership of the European Union (EU) - discusses the problematical and often paradoxical features of membership - familiarizes the reader with both academic and public debates about the subject - offers thematic treatment of all aspects of policy and attitudes towards the EU - provides an overview of the main landmarks in the history of the EU since 1973 - presents the most comprehensive and up-to-date text on the course and result of the EU referendum campaign. This book will be of key interest to scholars, students and the generally interested reader in the areas of European Studies, British Politics, EU Studies, Area Studies and International Relations.

Introduction 1. Europe and the European Union 2. Back to the Future 3. Belonging without Believing 4. Leading from behind: opt-outs, opt-ins and red lines 5. Party games and politics 6. Devolution and European Union membership 7. The Press and the European Union 8. The ‘Bloody British Question’ 9. Brief encounters and quick exits: the pound and Europe 1970-1992 10. The pound, the euro and the City 11. Britain, the European Union and the Wider World 12. Still leading from behind: the Conservatives and the European Union, 2010-2015 Conclusion: Journey to an unknown destination