Britain and the European Union

David Gowland was Founder and Director of the School of Contemporary European Studies and Head of the History Department at the University of Dundee, UK. He is the author of numerous successful books and articles including The European Mosaic series and Britain and European Integration since 1945.

Praise for the 2nd edition:"David Gowland presents a clear and very comprehensive account of Britain’s troubled relationship with European integration from the post-war period through decades of EU membership to the complexities of Brexit."Simon Bulmer, University of Sheffield, UKPraise for this edition:“The third edition of David Gowland’s Britain and the European Union offers a detailed and engaging account of the troubled relationship between Britain and the EU, from the post-war period to Starmer’s Labour government. Written in a clear and accessible way, it is an excellent reference textbook for undergraduate students. It is also highly recommended reading for anyone in continental Europe seeking to better understand the long-term causes, key facts, and political implications of Brexit.”Edoardo Bressanelli, Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna, Pisa, Italy“This timely third edition provides students and general readers with a compact and accessible analysis of Britain’s long and troubled relationship with European integration. Covering the period from 1945 to the present, it explains Britain’s absence from the founding of the European Community, its complex membership from 1973, the politics and consequences of Brexit, and contemporary dilemmas of UK–EU relations after withdrawal. Cogently written, this historically informed analysis is a valuable guide to one of the central questions in modern British politics.”Gary Marks, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, USA, and European University Institute, Florence, Italy.

• Introduction 1. Viewing Europe and the European Union 2. Britain and European integration, 1945-1972: Back to the future 3. British membership of the EC/EU, 1973-2010: Belonging without believing 4. Britain’s special relationship with the EC/EU: Leading from behind with opt-outs, rebates and red lines 5. Party games and politics in Britain 6. Devolution and European Union membership 7. The press and the European Union 8. The pound, the euro and the City: Brief encounters and quick exits 9. Britain, the European Union and the wider world 10. The Conservatives and the European Union 2010-15: ‘Banging on about Europe’ 11. The Referendum of 2016: The campaign 12. The Referendum of 2016: The result 13. The May government and Brexit, 2016-19: Decline and fail 14. The Brexiter government, 2019-22 15. From Sunak to Starmer: Loose threads 16. Some hallmarks of Britain’s EU profile: Before, during and after membership. Epilogue