The Difficult Case for British Membership in the EU

This paper discusses a possible British withdrawal from the European Union. It argues that such a withdrawal is now a real possibility but would be against Britain’s interests. However, it is difficult to see how Britain can remain 'at the heart of Europe,' as some have urged it to. Rather, given that the U.K. is unlikely to join the single currency in the foreseeable future, pro-Europeans will need to make a more difficult case that the U.K. can retain influence from the margins of Europe. They will need help from sympathetic continental Europeans in trying to imagine a meaningful role for Britain in the third tier of a three-tier Europe.

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