8. What effect has Britain had on the EU and vice versa?

About this Lecture

Lecture

In this module, we think about the interconnectedness of Britain and the European Union, focusing in particular on the idea that Britain has both changed and been changed by the European Union. As we move through the module, we consider: (i) the size of Britain in terms of its economy and population within the European Union; (ii) Britain’s influence on EU policy, including the enlargement of the European Union; (iii) the increasing importance of the Eurozone within the European Union; (iv) Britain’s relative lack of control over levels of immigration from Europe, and David Cameron’s failure to get any concessions from the EU during his renegotiation in 2015/16; (v) the importance of the EU Balance of Competencies – 32 reports published between 2010-15 – which provided an extensive analysis of the UK’s relationship with the EU.

Course

In this course, Dr Tim Oliver (Loughborough University) explores Brexit in three broad areas – causes, consequences and meanings. In the first two modules, we provide a general introduction to the course as a whole as well as an outline of the proposed structure.

Between the third and eighth modules, we think about the causes of Brexit. This section of the course includes a brief introduction (in the third module) followed by five modules on five key questions: (i) why did David Cameron call an in-out referendum on Europe?; (ii) why did people want the UK leave the EU?; (iii) why did people want the UK to remain a member of the EU?; (iv) was the UK destined to leave the EU?; and (v) what effect has Britain had on the EU (and vice versa)?

Between the ninth and fourteenth modules, we think about the consequences of Brexit. Again, there is a brief introduction (in the ninth module) followed by five key questions: (i) what impact has Brexit had on UK-EU relations?; (ii) what impact has Brexit had on British politics?; (iii) has Brexit solved Britain’s European question?; (iv) what does Brexit mean for the EU and the rest of the world?; and (v) who are Brexit’s ‘winners’ and ‘losers’?

Between the fifteenth and twentieth modules, we think about the meanings of Brexit. The questions this time are: (i) what does Brexit mean?; (ii) what theoretical approaches best explain Brexit?; (iii) how can we measure the success and failure of Brexit?; (iv) is Brexit a ‘critical juncture’ in British political history?; and (v) Is Brexit unique to the UK?

Finally, in the twenty-first and concluding module, we offer seven key rules when discussing Brexit.

Lecturer

Dr Tim Oliver is Senior Lecturer for the Institute for Diplomacy and International Governance at Loughborough University London. His research and teaching currently focus on Brexit, British politics, London, European politics, international relations and international security. He has combined work in academia (LSE, UCL, NYU and the EUI) with work in political institutions (the House of Lords and the European Parliament), think tanks (in Berlin, Washington D.C. and London) and with the British military.