Eurosceptic economics

Britain’s relationship with the European Union has never been straightforward. Edward Heath negotiated British membership, but his successor Harold Wilson cited it as the cause of economic stagnation. Margaret Thatcher famously fought with her handbag for a massive rebate payment, and though John Major wanted to put Britian ‘at the heart of Europe’ he nearly losts his job over an opt-out from the Maastricht treaty. Tony Blair came to power with hopes of taking Britain into the Euro, but his enthusiasm was blocked by the ‘five tests’ of his Chancellor Gordon Brown. Popular perceptions pit Anglo-Saxon neo-liberal economics against the European ‘social model’ where the former has no social conscience whilst the latter seeks social justice as part of economic stability. If Britain cares about the gap between its richest and its poorest citizens, then surely closer alignment with the EU would make for popular politics – but no: euroscepticism is a strong trend in British political life, entrenched in the political establishment, the tabloid press, and in the myths of Britishness embedded in the national consciousness. This book is addressed to all those with an interest in the political settlement Britain makes with its neighbours in the EU and across the atlantic, but particularly to students and researchers in the area of politics, European Studies, and international relations.