Martens Centre
  • Home
  • About
    • Who we are
    • Team
    • Bodies and Experts
    • Members
  • Publications
  • Events
  • News
  • Blog
  • Contact

Warning: Undefined variable $lock in /home/clients/0aee7ac7fc8ad72a3a23bcc4ca043604/web-martenscenter.eu/wp-content/themes/martenscentre/header.php on line 459
back

Publications

  • Home
  • About
    • Who we are
    • Team
    • Bodies and Experts
    • Members
  • Publications
  • Events
  • News
  • Blog
  • Contact
Share this...
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Linkedin
  • Email

The Empire Strikes Back: Brexit, History and the Decline of Global Britain

12 March 2019

For those seeking to understand the debate in Britain about leaving the EU, it is important to understand that history—or rather a certain Eurosceptic Tory interpretation of British and Imperial history—played a key role in building and sustaining the momentum for Brexit, both during and after the 2016 referendum. In this context, the process of Britain leaving the EU can be seen as the triumph of a misrepresented and selective view of British Imperial history and an unbending view of the primacy of the nation state. This narrative was combined (quite quickly and unpredictably) with a rise in economic nationalism and populism stimulated by the global economic crisis that commenced in 2007. This combination, in turn, challenged long-established political norms such as Britain’s membership of the EU. These were challenges that were largely based on a mutated form of British declinism and a fatalist view of the EU.

Ultimately, this paper concludes that it is not in the interests of Brussels that Britain should either seek to remain (or gain re-admittance in the future) as a full member of the EU. Rather, Britain’s historical self-conception is more conducive to a looser, yet clearly defined relationship with Brussels, based on shared political, economic and security interests. Such an arrangement—a bespoke Anglo-Continental compact—is more consistent with Britain’s political realities and accepted historical narratives. It will also better preserve the integrity of the EU’s internal cohesiveness, which since 2016 has become unavoidably intertwined with Britain’s search for relevance in this post-colonial age.

Download the publication

See the publication in a flipbook

Research Papers

Eoin Drea

Related events

  • What now for Britain, and for Europe?

    26 June 2019

  • Brexit
  • Economy
  • EU Member States
  • Euroscepticism
  • Macroeconomics

Related publications

  • Activity Report 2022

    Activity Report

    Activity Report 2022

  • Mistaking the Wood for the Trees: Five Ways the EU can Deliver a more Competitive Industrial Policy

    IN BRIEF

    Mistaking the Wood for the Trees: Five Ways the EU can Deliver a more Competitive Industrial Policy

  • Up, Up and Away? A Price Stability Guide for Policymakers

    IN FOCUS

    Up, Up and Away? A Price Stability Guide for Policymakers

  • Re-new EU — Recovery, Reopening and Revival

    Collaborative

    Re-new EU — Recovery, Reopening and Revival

  • The EU and the Multifaceted Nature of European Identity

    Research Papers

    The EU and the Multifaceted Nature of European Identity

  • Beyond the Headlines: The Real Impact of Western Sanctions on Russia

    Other

    Beyond the Headlines: The Real Impact of Western Sanctions on Russia

  • EU Subsidiarity as an Antidote to Centralisation and Inefficiency

    Future of Europe

    EU Subsidiarity as an Antidote to Centralisation and Inefficiency

  • The Long View: A Centre Right Response to the Economic Fallout of War in Ukraine

    Ukraine

    The Long View: A Centre Right Response to the Economic Fallout of War in Ukraine

You might also be interested by

  • Thinking Talks Ep.9 – ‘The Spectre of a new Banking Crisis’ with MEP Luděk Niedermayer

    Multimedia - Thinking Talks

    31 Mar 2023

  • BTC March Thumbnail Windsor Agreement Northern Ireland Illegal Migration Bill

    Bridge The Channel – The Windsor Framework and the UK’s Illegal Migration Bill

    Bridge the Channel - Multimedia

    16 Mar 2023

  • The Windsor Framework Shows that Germany is Key to a British Recovery

    Blog

    03 Mar 2023

  • Bridge The Channel – Our Predictions For 2023

    Bridge the Channel - Multimedia

    19 Jan 2023

  • E-Health and Data Science in Medicine with Johnson and Johnson’s Xiaoying Wu and Angel Martin

    Brussels Bytes - Multimedia

    11 Jan 2023

  • Interview with EP Secretary General Klaus Welle at EIF22

    Live-streams - Multimedia

    06 Jan 2023

  • Bridge the Channel – December 2022

    Bridge the Channel - Multimedia

    20 Dec 2022

  • EU-Central Asia: An Underdeveloped Relationship

    Blog

    15 Dec 2022

  • Women in Foreign Policy

    Her and EU - Multimedia

    15 Dec 2022

  • Defence Dialogue Episode 19 – EU-UK Defence Cooperation

    Defence Dialogues - Multimedia

    13 Dec 2022

Related events

    • 29 - 30 November 2022

      European Ideas Forum 2022

      European Ideas Forum 2022 2023-04-01

      Brussels

      In-House Events

    • 15 November 2022

      Net@Work 2022

      Net@Work 2022 2023-04-01

      Double Tree by Hilton, Rue Gineste 3, 1210 Brussels

      Common Projects

Stay updated on Martens Centre Activities, Events and Publications

  • Navigate

    • Home
    • About
      • Who we are
      • Team
      • Bodies and Experts
      • Members
    • Publications
    • Events
    • News
    • Blog
    • Contact
  • More

    • A word from Wilfried Martens
    • European People’s Party
    • Join the team
    • Privacy Policy, Cookie policy & Legal
  • Contact us

    0032 (0)2 300 80 04
    20 Rue du Commerce
    1000 Brussels, Belgium

Copyright © 2023 | Martens Centre ALYS

This website uses cookies to improve your experience, click here for more info. ACCEPT
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
SAVE & ACCEPT
Go to mobile version