Britain in the European Union Today

Europe remains the great fault line in British politics, the issue with the power to make or break prime ministers and governments, hotly debated in parliament, the press and the country at large. The second edition of this textbook offers students of British politics both a clear and concise introduction to the European Union and to the role of Europe in British politics. Colin Pilkington begins by explaining how the European Union has grown, and then covers the impact of the EU on Britain, both in terms of its influence on government policy-making and on European legislation. He then explores the participation of the British people in the democratic processes of the EU, through representation in the European Parliament and through the developing idea of European citizenship. Pilkington concentrates on the impact of Britain's EU membership following ratification of the Maastricht Treaty, and explores the effect of membership on the individual political parties and pressure groups. A number of important changes have occurred since the first edition, and these are covered fully in the book.
They include the introduction of the Euro, the reform of the Commission, the Amsterdam Treaty, the elections of 1999 and Agenda 2000.