Brexit : a historical case-study of UK's integration with the EU

Abstract

This thesis explores Brexit as process by examining what reasons have been given for UK’s integration process with the EU from the accession in 1973 to UK’s decision to leave the EU in 2016 and whether these reasons have changed or stayed consistent. Three events critical for UK’s integration with the EU have been analysed and compared: British EEC-membership in 1973, UK and the European Monetary Union, and UK’s decision to leave the EU. Each event has been analysed to observe what reasons have been given for UK’s integration with the EU through a rationalist approach to the European integration process and a constructivist approach to the study of European integration. This thesis finds that the reasons given for UK’s integration process with the EU have both been of economic character and of issues concerning national identity and status in the international community. The findings from this study suggests that Brexit can be viewed as a process and that the issues the UK has been concerned with have been consistent throughout their integration process with the EU.