Anthony Forster. Euroscepticism in Contemporary British Politics: Opposition to Europe in the British Conservative and Labour Parties since 1945. New York and London: Routledge, 2002. x + 157 pp. $42.95 (paper), ISBN 978-0-415-28732-6; $170.00 (cloth), ISBN 978-0-415-28731-9.

Reviewed by Richard Grayson (Director of Policy, Liberal Democrats, United Kingdom)
Published on H-Albion (December, 2003)

The Ebb and Flow of the Eurosceptic Case in U.K. Politics

The Ebb and Flow of the Eurosceptic Case in U.K. Politics

As an increasingly prominent feature of British politics, the school of thought which is opposed to British involvement in further European integration deserves serious academic analysis. Anthony Forster has produced an excellent introductory survey and analysis of the eurosceptics in the Labour and Conservative parties. His conclusions are likely to influence our understanding of the issue for years to come, and will certainly set the framework of debate.

Forster argues that previous studies have failed to answer one crucial question: why have all governments in the years since 1945 left office being less supportive of a British role in European integration than when they entered office? Forster points out that previous studies have focused on five key areas: the behavior of leaders, divisions with parties, the adversarial structure of British politics, differences between the economic structures of Britain and Europe, and a series of "contingent and eclectic" factors (p. 5).

Forster persuasively argues that there has not been enough attention to the nature of scepticism and the sceptical groups themselves. The correct focus of debates, he says, should instead be on the identity of the sceptics, the opportunities open for opposition, the forum in which opposition occurred, and the resources and information available to the sceptics.

The conclusion reached by Forster is that where government has limited opportunities for debate, or keep debates in Parliament, euroscepticism has been weakest. But by drawing debate into an arena outside Parliament itself, eurosceptics have been able to secure better resources and make their case more effectively. This perspective is rigorously argued throughout and deserves to be an important part of future debates.

That said, and with a reviewer's reluctance to make drafting comments, there are some errors of fact about well-known people, spotted by the reviewer, which raise concerns about what other facts might be inaccurate. For example, Paul Sykes, the wealthy funder of eurosceptics, was not an ex-Conservative MP (p. 112). Rather, he had only been a candidate. For such an important figure in the eurosceptic movement, that detail is material. Meanwhile, John Biggs-Davidson (pp. 55 and 132) was actually John Biggs-Davison. None of this should detract from the overall quality of the argument, but these errors dull the overall polish.

Like all good books, this book will raise some questions in the minds of readers which have to be answered by other different or broader studies. In particular, there is more work to do on the details of the eurosceptic case. As Forster says, it has always been clearer what the eurosceptics are against than what they are for, but a clearer idea may emerge as government and private papers become more available (p. 143). More research on this case, perhaps only when the government archives are publicly available, would help explain this further.

There would also be much value in a study which covers British debates on Europe from all perspectives. This would help place the eurosceptics in the broadest context possible and provide an even more thorough understanding of their role. On the evidence of this book, it is to be hoped that Anthony Forster will consider writing such a study.

For the future, there is the open question of whether the Labour and Conservative parties, which both remain riven by differences over Europe, will be able to continue to hold together a diverse range of opinions on this issue. With the election of U.K. Independence Party MEPs in the European elections of 1999, hardline sceptics may see more of a future on what was once the fringe. Only time will tell.

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Citation: Richard Grayson. Review of Forster, Anthony, Euroscepticism in Contemporary British Politics: Opposition to Europe in the British Conservative and Labour Parties since 1945. H-Albion, H-Net Reviews. December, 2003.
URL: http://www.h-net.org/reviews/showrev.php?id=8605

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