Professor Amelia Hadfield, Director of the Centre for Britain and Europe, Department of Politics, University of Surrey The engines are ticking over, the course is clear, the rules have been read out, and the race into Phase 2 of the UK’s withdrawal from the European Union is upon us. Phase 1 moved us through the […]
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Right after the Brexit referendum one of the popular Internet searches was ‘What is the EU?’[1]. The European political landscape is complex, and the political institutions might seem difficult to navigate. A perfect example is the three different ‘councils’ of Europe: the European Council, the Council of the European Union and the Council of Europe. […]
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During my PhD I examined Scottish identity and its relationship to independence. A coffee shop in the middle of Glasgow seemed as good a place as any and sat opposite me is the perfect person to explain – a traditional SNP supporter. He’s 50 years old and has supported the party for as long as […]
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In their book ‘Understanding National Identity’ [1] Professors David McCrone and Frank Bechhofer explain that national identity can be best understood as the connecting ‘hinge’ between the system we exist within and our individual reactions to that system. Whilst the hinge does not determine our action it can in certain circumstances be the pivot around […]
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Professor Amelia Hadfield and Dr Alia Middleton : Co-Directors of the Centre for Britain and Europe (CBE) Election hustings have progressed somewhat from their origins as a platform in the centre of town where unpopular candidates ran the risk of being shouted down or pelted with vegetables. Yet they remain a great opportunity for local candidates […]
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In 2011 I travelled to the French alps with some fellow Brits. We began talking on the bus and this inevitably led to questions of where everyone was from. I said I was British and came from Southampton, at which point the remaining travellers revealed their own hometowns and national identities. In all; four were […]
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