Have got to write an essay of Britain's relationship with the EU.?

Question

Any pointers on how I should structure my essay? What information I should include. Any help would be appreciated!

Answer 1

A very interesting topic. Britain's relationship with the EU is best summed up by the words from the Yes Minister series from the 1980's (Jim Hacker is prime minister and Sir Humphrey is a senior civil servant):


Sir Humphrey: Minister, Britain has had the same foreign policy objective for at least the last 500 years: to create a disunited Europe. In that cause we have fought with the Dutch against the Spanish, with the Germans against the French, with the French and Italians against the Germans, and with the French against the Germans and Italians. Divide and rule, you see. Why should we change now when it's worked so well?

Jim Hacker: That's all ancient history, surely.

Sir Humphrey: Yes, and current policy. We had to break the whole thing [the EEC] up, so we had to get inside. We tried to break it up from the outside, but that wouldn't work. Now that we're inside we can make a complete pig's breakfast of the whole thing: set the Germans against the French, the French against the Italians, the Italians against the Dutch. The Foreign Office is terribly pleased, it's just like old times.

Jim Hacker: But if that's true, why is the foreign office pushing for higher membership?

Sir Humphrey: I'd have thought that was obvious. The more members an organization has, the more arguments it can stir up. The more futile and impotent it becomes.

Jim Hacker: What appalling cynicism.

Sir Humphrey: We call it diplomacy, Minister.

Answer 2

Britain wanted to join the EU in order to boost its sagging economy and cooperate with other countries in Europe for security reasons.

Answer 3

I'd beat the drum of "Distant relationship is best.."

All the other nations in the EU have thrown away their national identity....

Britain's much to rich in history and culture for that to happen.