Brexit: Ending Chapter of a Tale of Missed Opportunities

By Marion Tanguy, Treasurer of European Horizons at Bangor University 

The United Kingdom (UK) is expected to leave the European Union (EU) on October 31st, more than three years after the 2016 referendum, and more than 6 months late on the original date of exit. The chaotic process of leaving the EU has been the perfect reflection of what Britain’s relations with the EU has always been: unsure, reluctant and a long series of missed opportunities for the country. There is not any great secret about it; the UK has never been really enthusiastic about the European projects. When continental European countries turned to each other for political and economic support, the UK would turn to the United States or the Commonwealth. The most powerful example of that distance can be found in the speech given by Winston Churchill, when prime minister, at the University of Zurich in 1946. In his speech, Churchill talked about the importance of France and Germany working hand in hand and suggested the creation of a European federation, ‘the United Stated of Europe’. But Britain was never included in those plans. How ironic that Churchill would advise his fellow Europeans to come together as a federation without including his own country, yet European in its own right.

Therefore, it was not a surprise when, in 1950, the UK refused to join France, Italy, Germany, Luxembourg, Belgium and the Netherlands in the discussions to create what would become the European Coal and Steel Community and, much later, the EU. Once again, Britain’s priority lied in maintaining and solidifying relations with the US and the Commonwealth, rather than joining our European neighbours in their effort to rebuild a better Europe. This was the first misstep for the UK. A part of analysts which have worked on the subject consider that, at that time, Britain ‘missed the boat’, according to the words of Miriam Camps, and consider more globally the British foreign policy of the time to be a failure. Such position is quite understandable when looking at the consequences: by refusing to join the negotiations, the UK forfeited a chance to be a founding member of what would become the EU and forfeited with it the advantages that come with such a position. A quick look at the French-German couple 60 years ago and today is speaking enough.

The situation of Britain was even more fragilized when, realizing that it was becoming isolated on the world stage, London changed its mind about the European project and tried to join. Twice, Britain’s membership application was vetoed by French president Charles de Gaulle, who did not believe that the UK intended to seriously partake in the European project. Thus, one can argue that the future of Britain in the EU was already compromised before even entering the Union. The fact that the country managed to obtain a special treatment from Brussels did not help either. On the contrary, it only accentuated the marginalization that the UK was already suffering from – which was in many ways self-induced. Where it could have decided to fully believe in the European project and taken the lead, Britain decided once again to opt for a timid approach. However, some changes in this reluctant attitude were perceptible over the years, with the UK getting more and more involved. When London assumed the presidency of the Council of the EU in 1999, it got involved in the preparation of the new currency, the euro, and changed its position regarding a European defense policy. In 2007, as part of poll on who should assume the political leadership in Europe, the option of France, Germany and the UK as leaders arrived second, approved by 18% of the respondents. One could have thought from that evolution that Britain had finally made a choice, the choice of Europe, and that it would in the future be fully invested in leading Europe to where it wanted it to go. But it was not the case and London backpedaled totally when Cameron’s coalition government came to power, bringing with him a wave of Euroscepticism, leading in the end to Brexit. Brexit is the perfect crystallization of all that was and is wrong with Britain’s position towards Brussels. Britain wants to be part of the game, but not too much. Britain wants to have money but refuses to give in exchange. Britain wants to be involved but wants to keep its independence. Once again, as it has been the case so many times over the years, the UK could have seen Brexit as the perfect opportunity to finally take the lead in Europe, impose themselves in Brussels, and shape Europe, just like Gordon Brown suggested in his Remain campaign video, ‘Lead not Leave’. But once again, it missed the opportunity.