This is a critical time for the relationship between Britain and Europe, as politicians debate the crisis facing the European Union and Britain’s role within it. This second edition consists largely of new material that charts how recent political developments have changed the debate surrounding Britain’s membership of the EU. Following the 2015 general election and with the promise of an imminent referendum on Brexit, the book now considers:
- How has the renegotiation agenda shifted?
- How are EU partners responding to threats of departure from Britain?
- What was the impact of the 2015 general election?
- What are the politics of a referendum on membership?
- How can a pro-European case be made?
By seeking answers to these questions, Roger Liddle assesses the impact of a series of miscalculated gambles by David Cameron and his forebears that leaves Britain teetering on the edge of an exit from the European Union.
Contents
About the Author
Preface
How We Got Here
The Remorseless Logic of Conservative Division on Europe
The Shifting Renegotiation Agenda
Gearing Up for the Renegotiation
The Impact of the 2015 General Election on the European Question
Will Britain’s EU Partners Deliver What Cameron Needs?
What Does Cameron Actually Want?
The Renegotiation Agenda
Britain No Longer Part of ‘Ever-closer Union’?
Fair Treatment between ‘Euro-ins’ and ‘Euro-outs’
Prospects for the Referendum and Thereafter
The Conservative Politics of the Referendum
Corbyn and Europe
Can Cameron Win?
Will the Referendum Resolve Britain’s Europe Dilemma?
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