This interesting, prescient, and most timely book argues that the political world has been 'turned inside out.' Since the European financial crisis and the May British election, the political world is more topsy-turvy. Happily, Mannin's book is a good guide to this world. British politics, he argues, cannot be understood without fully appreciating the EU's impact. European integration is 'an integral aspect of "what happens"'—of 'how things are.' While he acknowledges other international and domestic forces, his starting point is the 'unusual condition' of EU membership. A textbook, it is formulaic (chapters in tidy order on economy, constitution, parliament, parties, executive, etc.). But Mannin differs by putting the impact of the EU front and center. Thus, constitutional reform cannot be seen as distinct from 'the notion of European integration.' He covers institutions, politics, and policies (economic, environmental, and foreign). Recommended.
CHOICE
While the wide implications of European Union membership have long been evident in Whitehall and elsewhere, texts on British politics have tended to remain strangely insular. By providing a systematic investigation of the ways in which membership has influenced the constitution, institutions, and policies of the British system, Mannin has comprehensively addressed this serious omission. His ambitious and innovative work fills a significant gap in the study of British government and politics.
John Vogler, Keele University In this book Michael Mannin has done something very difficult and made it look easy. He has deftly synthesized an immense amount of diverse material in order to produce a panoramic account of Britain in Europe. In lively and accessible prose, Mannin supplies history, context, and a set of alternative perspectives. Thoroughly recommended.
Christopher Pollitt, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven