Europe and the British Left

This is a well-researched, realistic, and very fluent treatment of the past, present and future association of the UK with the rest of Europe, and of the attitude of the British left of all shapes, sizes and strategies towards our continent. It is filled with truths that point the UK towards a meaningful new economic, social, political, security and cultural relationship with the changing EU.

-- Neil Kinnock, President of the Labour Movement for Europe, former Leader of the Labour Party and former Vice-President of the European Commission

Much has been written about the British political right in relation to the EU and Brexit, but very little about the political left. This thoughtful and thorough volume fills that major gap in the literature. It incisively dissects the past and present schisms and debates and, perhaps more importantly, analyses the options for the British left in approaching post-Brexit UK–EU relations.

-- Chris Grey, Emeritus Professor of Organization Studies, Royal Holloway, University of London and author of Brexit Unfolded

Will the British left continue to hesitate on the EU or endeavour to rejoin and help reform it? Can Labour overcome its own progressive dilemma in politics – between its cosmopolitan urban constituency and the traditional heartlands – and in policy – between interventionist nationalism and pro-market cosmopolitanism? This inspiring book provides the answers in a brilliant vade mecum on how to reinvent the UK and the EU through a mix of more cosmopolitan interventionism in the EU and national interventionism in the UK. A must read for the Labour Party and progressives more generally.

-- Vivien A. Schmidt, Jean Monnet Professor of European Integration and Professor Emerita of International Relations and Political Science, Boston Univer