Britain and the European Union: Alternative Futures

Citation

Coleman, J. (2005), "Britain and the European Union: Alternative Futures", European Business Review, Vol. 17 No. 5. https://doi.org/10.1108/ebr.2005.05417eab.008

Britain and the European Union: Alternative Futures

Britain and the European Union: Alternative FuturesMark Baimbrid, Brian Burkitt and Philip Whyman2005CIBReview DOI 10.1108/09555340510620438

Alternative Futures is, as its title suggests, about the future for the UK in its relations with the EU. It is by three eurosceptically inclined academics, two from the University of Bradford, who have number of books on European economics to their names.

It has what could be an excellent executive summary within it: "the UK could establish a number of distinctive relationships with the EU". These range from retaining full membership, while refusing initiatives intended to accelerate further integration, to actual withdrawal - and a variety of alternatives between these two including playing a leading role in what is now known as the European Economic Area.

The main part of the book contains, as might be expected from such academics, a fairly rigorous examination of the history of Britain's membership going back to the first application to join in 1961. The economic success of the major players at the time when Britain's economy was stagnating made it seem that joining the Six would have a highly beneficial effect on the UK economy.

It is a book that should be read by both the supporters of the EU and the Eurosceptics, but it may be that its merit is that its simple down-to-earth style should be particularly useful in helping Euroenthusiasts to grasp the basic nature of their opponents arguments. It comes at a very appropriate time when the future of Europe is in the balance.

John Coleman