A Changing UK in a Changing Europe

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The question of the UK's relationship to the European Union (EU) is a live one as the Conservative Party propose renegotiation and an in-out referendum in 2017, setting the agenda for the other parties. The EU itself is under stress. There is a rise in Euroscepticism in many parts of Europe, while at the same time there are pressures for closer integration to deal with the crisis of the Euro. Following the Scottish independence referendum, the UK constitution remains unresolved, with proposals for further devolution to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland and more diffuse pressures to address the government of England. The constitutional tensions within the European Union and within the UK are linked. There is evidence that attitudes towards renegotiating EU membership and to withdrawal may be different across the nations of the UK. There may be different interests in European policies and priorities on issues such as energy, migration, agriculture, competition policy and regional policy. Demands for reform of the devolution settlement include better mechanisms for representing the devolved territories in European policy-making and in the process of renegotiation and EU treaty reform. Another issue is the Conservative proposal to replace the Human Rights Act, which entrenches the European Charter for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (EHCR) in UK law. ECHR works differently in the devolved territories from England, as in the former it is also entrenched in the devolution settlements. The project will analyse these issues in a form accessible to stakeholders and the public. It will explore options for change within the UK and Europe, drawing on comparative experience. It will engage stakeholders and the general public in the debate on the UK and Europe. Dissemination will be through regular briefings, posted on the programme web site and that of the Scottish Centre on Constitutional Change; seminars around the UK for the general public and for stakeholders; and an active presence in print, broadcast and social media. There will be an engagement with governments across the United Kingdom on the basis of strict impartiality.