United Kingdom: In and out of Europe

Résumé du document

The United Kingdom has always been in and out of Europe. Such posturing is in keeping with a series of mantras [religious beliefs] upon which Britain's policy towards Europe is predicated. The latter have never been really challenged in the last century. Britain's Europe is a paradoxical set of conflicting principles from which that polity does not seem to be prepared to depart. Britain's relationship to Europe is informed by three fundamental attitudes – first keeping the balance of power between the European countries, second meddling only when necessary, and third defending the British self-interest. The concept of balance of power stems from a rather muscular philosophy linked to a tradition of insular aloofness continental Europe. And yet, Britain was going to abandon its policy of splendid isolation in the course of the 19th century. The global reach of (its) Empire forced Great-Britain to take an interest in European affairs if only to watch what its colonizing rivals were doing in Africa and elsewhere, for London still had relatively little ambition to be a mover and shaker in continental European affairs, though it liked to give a lead in the comity of nations: its primary preoccupation concerning Europe was to ensure that the latter did not become a source of trouble or danger for her empire and, ultimately, for herself.

Extraits

[...] Major got defeated over the social chapter opt-out. Labour wanted it included, and the Eurosceptics within the Conservative party saw the process as an opportunity to stop Maastricht. After this point there was open warfare in the Conservative party over Europe and Major was forced to oppose his European partners with the recurrent use of the British veto during the Mad Cow crisis among others. Major was glad to go in the May 1997 general election. Tony Blair and Europe First of all it is worth noting that historically the Labour party has always been the party of Euroscepticism, starting with Hugh Gaitskell, the leader of the Labour party in 1962, when he declared at the Brighton Labour conference that membership of the EEC means: the end of Britain as an independent European state . [...]

[...] As this example concretely shows Britain has never seen itself as part of a multilateral European integrationist endeavour. Moreover the British are perennially divided over whether or not the benefits of deeper integration within the European Union are worth the costs. - above all, the loss of national control over economic and trade policy. In sum, subliminally, the and attitude prevails: there are manifestations of this posture in the popular saying the wogs starts at Calais”. British nationalism or rather jingoism is a mix of Little Englandism and Internationalism Historical evolution of Britain's Relationship with Europe The old dispensation endures from 1945 to 1958 In 1945 Labour won the first postwar election. [...]

[...] Instead of joining the EEC Britain set up a free trade based rival to it, the European Free Trade Area –Scandinavia, Austria, etc., to scupper the newly-created customs union. The European temptation from 1958 to 1973 Why did Britain change its mind in the early 60s? The increase in European trade made joining the EEC economically more viable. There was US pressure for a stronger united Europe in the face of potential Soviet aggression. The US also wanted an influence within the EU and the UK involvement was a means to achieve that. [...]

[...] So why, by the time of the 1992 election, was Tony Blair and the Labour party fully committed to Europe? Quite simply and very cynically, their stance was dictated by a threefold desire to import European social legislation, court big business and be pragmatic. If Tony Blair appeared as very pro-European in 1992, one can ask oneself in hindsight if this was not a ploy to keep Europe on the political agenda and split the Tories. Five days after that general election, Blair handed over control of monetary and budgetary policies to the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Gordon Brown who, from then on, held a de facto veto over joining the Euro-zone. [...]

[...] And, anyway, British premiers are still impressed with US economic and military might. Britain has problems with a written European constitution but accepts the ECHR By killing off the Constitutional treaty, French and Dutch voters did Tony Blair an extremely good turn since he had only reluctantly conceded a referendum on its ratification in April 2004. Britain has a problem with a European Constitution: it goes against the grain of the British common law tradition which is based on case law. [...]