The European Union and British democracy. Towards convergence

Book abstract:

This book adopts a new perspective on the EU. Instead of judging the EU in accordance with liberal democratic theory, it examines how the EU has affected democratic practice in one of its member states. It does this by analysing what people, and in particular the people of Britain, derive from EU governance in terms of democratic participation. This involves taking a critical look at liberal democracy itself and also at the way it is manifested in the UK political system. It argues that a centralised state like the UK is not a particularly effective vehicle for liberal democracy and questions whether liberal democracy itself is necessarily synonymous with popular power.

The question that is implied throughout the book is 'may the UK's democratic practice be enhanced by means of its membership of the European Union?'. The author adopts both empirical and theoretical approaches, handling abstract theoretical arguments, particularly in relation to democracy and its outcomes and relates them to detailed policy material. She takes a 'localist' approach, focusing on the effects of EU membership on non-professional politicians and decision-makers.

The chapters are: Why democracy?; Pre-Blairite democracy in Britain; The UK, the European Union and the legitimacy deficit; Power and the European Parliament; Democracy and the European Parliament; The European Union: vehicle for participatory democracy; The European Union's options for participatory democracy; The European Union in Britain: towards multi-level governance; Converging democracy: Blair's Britain and the European Union; Conclusion: snapshots and photographs.

Drawing on political theory and a wealth of empirical evidence, the author argues that the British political system is pre-democratic and that the EU provides the best prospect for revitalising European democracy as a whole. This book will provoke debate amongst all those interested in these key issues for the twenty-first century.

Janet Mather is a lecturer in the Department of Politics and Philosophy at the Manchester Metropolitan University. She has published articles on democracy, EU transparency and the European Parliament.