The Rise and Fall of British Policy for Membership of Europe

John S.F. Wright, John S. F. Wright

• Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan
• Year: 2024
• Print ISBN: 9783031651359
• eBook ISBN: 9783031651366
• Topic: Politics & International Relations
• Subtopic: European Politics
• Index: Politics & International Relations

This is a book about policy change that focusses on a single case study; the rise and fall of the British policy for membership of European institutions. It traces the establishment of British identity as a European Member State and the meaning of the country's participation in the block in 1973, to its deterioration through the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s, ending with its eventual failure at the 2016 referendum. Considering the abject state into which the meaning and identity of the pro-European policy had fallen by that time, the book argues that while David Cameron might have lost his June referendum by a slender 1.8% majority, he should have lost by a whole lot more. It also raises important implications for understanding the nature and dynamics of policy change in UK politics and beyond. It will appeal to scholars and students of political theory, public policy, British and European politics.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Front Matter
• 1. Introduction
• 2. What Is Policy Change?
• 3. The Dislocatory Moment and Means for the Clarification of Identity and Meaning in Policy Regimes
• 4. The Rise of the Policy for Membership in the Common Market Period (1961–1977)
• 5. Reconstituting the Policy for Membership in the Single Market Period (1975–1991)
• 6. The Decline of the Policy for Membership in The Maastricht Period (1990–2007)
• 7. The Fall of the Policy for Membership in The Referendum Period (1997–2016)
• 8. Conclusion
• Back Matter