Publication

This paper examines the reasons behind Britain’s difficult relationship with the EU which has been further strained by the economic crisis in Europe. According to the authors, the reasons are rooted in Britain’s historical experience which persists in the thinking of the main political parties in the country. The authors develop this argument by examining the four main strands of political thinking in British politics – the ‘conservative arcadia’, ‘the excessive dignity of Labour’, ‘the Liberal predicament’, and ‘UKIP’s false choice’ – and provide thoughts about the development of the UK-EU relationship in the context of the Scottish referendum vote.