This report provides an accessible yet comprehensive analysis of how the British discourse on Europe has evolved over the past forty years. Prime Minister David Cameron’s commitment to hold a referendum on European Union membership in 2017, should his part win the next general election, was a major political milestone.
The report therefore examines the changes and continuities in this discourse over three key periods: the 1975 EEC membership referendum, the 1992-3 Maastricht ratification process and the proto-referendum debates of 2013. The consistent divide between a British self and Continental other over the forty years under analysis has been strongly reinforced by the increasing prominence of anti-immigration rhetoric within the discourse. Overall, the author notes that the impact of the Eurosceptics’ discursive campaign will have a significant impact should a referendum take place in 2017.
John Todd has a Master in International Relations from the Norwegian University of Life Sciences. He was affiliated with ARENA through the student scholarship.
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ARENA Report No 1/15
The British Self and Continental Other: A Discourse Analysis of the United Kingdom’s Relationship with Europe
John Todd
March 2015