Category: National Perspectives on Europe

Cameron’s EU Renegotiation: A Strategy Lacking a Vision

Drew Scott The UK Prime Minister’s speech and letter today have outlined the general parameters for the renegotiation of the UK’s membership of the EU, writes Drew Scott. He analyses the section of the letter on economic governance and he suggest that, although we now know more about the UK’s position, the negotiations and the …

Reaction: The UK’s EU Renegotiation Demands

Laura Cram · Owen Kelly · Niamh Nic Shuibhne · Eleanor Spaventa · Tobias Lock · Michael Keating Expert Reaction Today, UK Prime Minister David Cameron sent a letter to the President of the European Council outlining his agenda for renegotiating the UK’s membership of the European Union, ahead of a referendum on the issue. …

The Calm Before the Storm – Preparing for the EU Referendum

Christina McKelvie Many questions surround the upcoming EU referendum and the shape of the UK’s relationship with the EU, writes Christina McKelvie. She explains that these questions form the basis of the European and External Relations Committee’s work on the impact of EU renegotiation and reform for Scotland, which aims to contribute to informing the …

Britain’s European Futures? Reflections from a Seminar Discussion

Drew Scott Following a recent seminar and panel discussion on the UK’s EU renegotiation and referendum, Drew Scott reflects on the prospects for Britain’s relationship with the EU. He writes that, with the uncertainty surrounding the role the UK wants to play in Europe, the ultimate positions of the other EU Member States in the …

The Human Rights Act and Britain’s European Futures

Tobias Lock In this extended article, Tobias Lock explores the implications of potential human rights reform in Britain. He writes that a repeal of the Human Rights Act would not necessarily require the UK to leave the European Convention on Human Rights. Should Britain leave, however, he argues that its future in both the Council …

Finality, Sir, is not the Language of Politics

James Mitchell Referendums do not necessarily solve the issues they are meant to address, writes James Mitchell. He argues that, similar to the Scotland independence referendum, the EU referendum is unlikely to be definitive, but it will shape the UK’s relationship with the EU whatever the outcome. The Edinburgh Agreement, Scottish Government CC-BY-NC-2.0 If David …

Can Britain be European?

Emile Chabal and Stephan Malinowski In this extended article, Emile Chabal and Stephan Malinowski reflect on the use of history in the debate on the UK’s relationship with Europe and question two historical narratives put forward about Britain – that its history has been uniquely continuous and that is has been exceptional. They suggest that …

The UK’s Territorial and Governance Challenge: Regions, Nations and Cities

Jo Shaw Faced with recent events at home and abroad, the UK’s political system needs to adapt to ensure prosperity and to bolster democratic legitimacy, writes Jo Shaw. She argues that devolution to cities might be a viable option to achieve these objectives, while also maintaining a balance in the UK’s complicated territorial politics. Great …