Publisher's Synopsis
The political scene in Britain is facing its biggest shift in over a decade. As the New Labour experiment appears to be coming to an end, the rejuvenated Conservative party is set to take control. But amidst all the talk of the new 'compassionate' and 'green' Tories, a hugely important issue has been shunted into the background: Europe. Where does the newly vibrant conservative party now stand on the issue that once threatened to tear it apart? Why are its messages so mixed? If the Conservatives are so proudly eurosceptic, as Cameron and other front-benchers claim, why does Cameron say that it is 'a good thing to be in Europe'? And why do 80% of Conservative candidates think that Britain has benefited from membership in the EU? In Eurosceptic Isle, Simon Dedman tries to find an answer to these questions by looking at the history of euroscepticism from its origins in the post-war period through its Thatcherite heyday to its uncertain standing today. The book features interviews with dozens of conservative politicians and thinkers, both Europhile and sceptic, including the front benchers William Hague, George Osbourne and of course, David Cameron.
