Britain and Europe Unit

In January 2013, Britain’s Prime Minister David Cameron agreed to hold an ‘in/out’ referendum on Britain’s continued membership of the European Union (EU). The referendum campaign, the vote to leave the EU, and the ongoing aftermath, together make an unprecedented period in British and indeed European politics.

The campaign was about more than Britain’s relationship with the EU, and the decision to leave will most likely have far-reaching consequences on Britain’s society, culture, economy, and political landscape.

The politics of Westminster seem to have already taken on a different air, the two main parties are experiencing the fallout, and the United Kingdom could well change too, given calls for a second Scottish referendum and renewed debate about the future position of Northern Ireland within the state. The issue of immigration, itself a reflection of globalisation and the interconnectedness of economies and cultures, as well as of crisis in other parts of the world, has become salient in new and challenging ways.

The composition of the EU will change, and the repercussions of ‘Brexit’ on other member states and on how the EU works are likely to be wide-ranging. Britain’s relations with her European neighbours, as well as with the wider world will all be affected, and Britain’s place in the world is likely to be fundamentally altered. The process of leaving the EU is uncertain, and this question will define British politics in the years to come.

The Britain and Europe Unit aims to bring together academics, in SPIRE and across Keele, whose research focuses on aspects of Britain’s relations with the EU and with other European countries, on the politics and institutions of the EU, and on British and European politics and society.

By Dr Helen Parr and Dr Liz Carter

SPIRE staff and students were very active during the referendum campaign.

SPIRE students – involving SPIRE’s student representatives Alice Spikings and Tom Snape – took the initiative. Keele Student’s Union Debating Society organised a public debate on 7 March. Held in the Westminster Theatre, the debate was very well attended by staff, students and members of the public. On the side for ‘leave’ were Sir Gerald Howarth MP and Mark Glendening, and on the side for ‘remain’ were Paul Farrelly, MP for Newcastle-under-Lyme, and Helen Parr. You can read Helen Parr’s opening remarks here:

Britain and Europe Unit Helen Parr's Speech to Keele Debating Society.

On 11 May John Vogler spoke at a debate hosted by the Audley Rotary Club.

On 24 May Helen Parr spoke at the conference 'Brexit: Then and Now' organised by the Institute of Commonwealth Studies, and held at the Senate House, London. Other panellists included Sir Malcolm Rifkind (Foreign Secretary, 1995-7); John Palmer, the former European editor of the Guardian, and William Keegan, Financial Times and Observer journalist.

Helen Parr also participated in a public debate at the local Hartshill and Harpsfield Occasions group on 2 June. She gave a historical overview of Britain's relations with the EEC/EU. Tristram Hunt, MP for Stoke-on-Trent Central and Jan Zablocki of the Green Party, advocated for remain; the CEO of the Staffordshire Chambers of Commerce Sara Williams offered a balanced business case; and UKIP MEPs Jill Seymour and Steven Woolfe argued that Britain should leave the EU.

On 2 June, Christopher Huggins took part in a debate hosted by the Crewe and Nantwich branch of the Federation of Small Business, in Weston near Crewe, making the case for the UK to remain a member of EU, while Alan Halsall from Business for Britain and a board member of Vote Leave outlined the case to leave.

On 8 June, Helen Parr spoke in a debate at Trinity Methodist Church in Leek, giving an overview of the debate, with President of Leek Chamber of Commerce John Capper speaking on the business case, and Councillor Charlotte Atkins speaking for remain. SPIRE’s student Joe Porter, Conservative Councillor and West Midlands Regional Chair of Young Liberty, advocated the case to leave.

On 16 June, Christopher Huggins organised a Roundtable, held at Keele University. John Vogler, Robert Ladrech, Helen Parr and Maria Tzanou from Law, all spoke on an aspect of the referendum campaign that had caught their attention.

Helen Parr writes on the politics of the vote to leave:

Read here for A complacency at the heart of our political parties has brought this vote.

Helen Parr and analyses the leave vote:

Read here for A contingent, conservative vote against the status quo.

Chris Huggins in The Conversation:

How many people work for the EU? Read here.

Phil Catney in The Conversation:

As British PM resigns, Boris Johnson is pivoting towards the Premiership. Read here.

Robert Ladrech interviewed Read here.

Barry Ryan writes in the Irish Times:

'A delusional belief that the past will save the future': Read here.

Moran Mandelbaum writes in E-IR: