Britain’s integration with the European Union has not been pleasant over the past few decades. In fact, its unwillingness to join the European Economic Community (EEC), currently known as the European Union until 1973 explains a lot about its political and economic position. For starters, Britain had the largest economy in Europe after the second world war its overall living standards were high. Additionally, there was little unemployment in the region and this situation eliminated the need to join the EEC due to its economic stability. According to Gowland and Arthur (186), the United Kingdom’s early industrialization and its dominant international system enhanced the stability of the nation in the nineteenth and twentieth century. As such, there was no need to venture into a partnership with the EEC as its superiority was unmatched as opposed to other European nations. However, even after joining the community twenty-two years following its formation, Britain has continually shown its reluctance to remain in the European Union due to multiple reasons. For a fact, Britain’s urge to enhance its economic development and the overall international position has contributed to its reluctance to the policies of the EU.
Britain will secure stronger trade deals with other nations if it dissociates itself form the EU. In spite of the fact that it benefits from the trade deals overseen by the Union, and it would lose negotiating power by opting out of the agreement, its independence would enhance its long-term economic development. As such, Britain has been mostly reluctant to play by the rules imposed by the Union as it believes it would be in a better trading position while out of the Union. According to Jeffery (108), Britain would be in a better position to spend its national resources gained through the EU membership to the advantage of its citizens better than it can while under the membership. As a result, the United Kingdom has been a forerunner in proposing its dissociation from this group due to the greater economic potential created when it is not bound to the union.
Britain’s resistance to the EU policies has largely been attributed to the fact that it loses some superiority over its domestic affairs. According to Camps (124), European Union membership deprives the nations some level of control over their decisions. As such, Britain seeks to enforce permanent administration over its affairs by pushing towards its dissociation with the European Union. For instance, the nation’s fishing policies are mostly controlled by its integration with other members of the EU. As such, fishing within the region is under the supervision of the European Union under their special permit system. As such, Britain cannot control how other nation access the fishing zones within its borders. It is, therefore, reluctant to remain in the Union as it wants to reclaim the power it once had before it joined the union.
In conclusion, one can determine that the reasons behind Britain’s reluctance to remain in the European Union are purely strategic. Specifically, this nation wants to have control over its domestic affairs and make the most out of its trading activities. In spite of the advantages, the United Kingdom embraces under the Union; its dissociation would create a broad spectrum for development that would allow it to establish other trading associations and regain its overall sovereignty over its domestic affairs.
Works Cited
Camps, Miriam. Britain and European Community. Princeton University Press, 2015.
Gowland, David, and Arthur Turner. Reluctant Europeans: Britain and European Integration 1945-1998. Routledge, 2014.
Jeffery, Charlie, ed. The regional dimension of the European Union: towards a third level in Europe? Routledge, 2015.
