The Making of Eurosceptic Britain

Identity and Economy in a Post-Imperial State

What has been the political impact of the Eurozone Debt Crisis in the UK? To what extent have the bank collapses and bailouts reinforced Britain’s Eurosceptic trajectory? In this revised and updated second edition Chris Gifford addresses these key questions reflecting on the Labour government’s approach to Europe while exploring the extensive mobilisation of Eurosceptic forces in opposition to the Conservative-led coalition government. The book examines the extent to which Euroscepticism has become dominant within both the Conservative leadership and the bulk of its parliamentary party and how this has affected the relationship of the coalition government with the European Union. By placing current attitudes to Europe in relation to the wider history of Britain’s post war interaction with its continental neighbours the author shows how British Euroscepticism is structural in nature and a persistent and institutionalised feature of UK Politics.