Between the Waves

Tom McTague’s monumental tour de force is the history of euro-scepticism and is a rollercoaster read for anyone interested in UK politics. The narrative rolls on at pace, and predictably covers Margaret Thatcher’s Bruges speech, the Maastrict rebels, the bogeyman, Jack Delors, Goldsmith’s Referendum party and the rise of UKIP and demands for an in-out referendum. But underlying it all is the author’s assumption that the European project was always and inevitably a contradiction of England’s historical entitlement to an unfettered sovereign future. Most of those featured in this book are cast as the heroes and heroines of the struggle to regain this status. There is very little about the practical benefits that UK residents enjoyed by belonging to the European Union, or much understanding of political thinking beyond these shores. A history that extended beyond 2016 might be more critical of the forces and ideologies so well described in this book. Despite this, it’s a  thoroughly enjoyable read and a worthwhile achievement.