The European Dimension

Abstract

EC politics go to the heart of British politics. Debates about Britain’s future in Europe were not only central to the tensions which engulfed British politics at the end of 1992, but are also integral to the future of Britain in all key spheres. Despite the events of ‘Black Wednesday’, when under intense speculative pressure sterling was withdrawn from the Exchange Rate Mechanism (ERM) of the European Monetary System (EMS), Britain’s economic fortunes continue to rely heavily on those of the EC as a whole. In the political sphere, many important decisions are now made not in London but in Brussels. In consequence, domestic political debate — in Parliament, in the media, and elsewhere — is increasingly dominated by the EC, and many senior British decision-makers — both politicians and civil servants — have to spend a considerable amount of time deliberating and negotiating with their counterparts from the other eleven EC states (Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal and Spain).