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Brexit: How Britain Left Europe
HOW COULD THIS HAVE HAPPENED? On 23 June 2016, UK voters elected to leave the European Union. The result was perhaps the biggest bombshell in modern British political history. In this new and updated edition of Denis MacShane's bestselling history of the UK's relationship with Europe, the former Europe Minister reveals the full story behind Britain's historic EU Referendum decision. Denis MacShane was the only senior Remainer to have called the EU Referendum result correctly and his book provides the essential context to the new political and economic landscape of Brexit Britain.
256 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2005
9 people are currently reading
95 people want to read
About the author
Denis MacShane
27 books6 followersBritish MP for the Labour Party (1994-2012) and Labour minister and UK Minister of State for Europe.
MacShane was a supporter of the 2003 invasion of Iraq, is pro-Israel and Nuclear Power.
In 2012 he resigned after it was found he he had submitted 19 false expenses invoices.
MacShane was a supporter of the 2003 invasion of Iraq, is pro-Israel and Nuclear Power.
In 2012 he resigned after it was found he he had submitted 19 false expenses invoices.
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
January 22, 2019
Nice overview about the complicated relationship the UK had with the European Union with the Tories and the Labourites switching agendas but lacking any strong pro-EU stances.
March 17, 2016
This book is well written with a slight "Eurosceptic" tone to it. But I believe that politically unbiased books don't exist, but that is just my personal opinion. It is a book which highlights all the main points of clashes between "Eurocracy" and latent British imperialism. These clashes have existed since Britain joined the European Customs Community (ECC, the predecessor of the EC and later the EU). In this book there is a lack of economic facts where it states that Britain is still better off in the EU rather than out of the EU. However, the book is realistic enough and I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in the EU referendum on June the 26th :)
September 27, 2025
Very good analysis of the Brexit vote by a former cabinet minister. The author was in favour of remaining in the EU but was one of the few to predict the Yes vote in the referendum. Written just before the referendum vote in 2016 but includes an update just after the vote. The author presents a balanced and reasonable view of the issues, unlike many other books on this topic.
August 25, 2019
Mangelfuld på samfundsøkonomi og international handel.
February 7, 2016
I truly enjoyed Brexit, it is of course very much seen from a British point of view, what could be about to happen, ie how Britain could leave the EU. Being Danish, Denmark being another country struggling with its place or role in Europe, it reads almost like a horror story. The ignorance and indifference of many or the deliberate misinformation by most of the press is chilling, and very likely scenarios are described, which could lead to what I personally think would be a great shame and lead to many more problems of a troubled EU. I can recommend this book
January 3, 2020
This is the second tim Ive read this book - the first time was before the referendum and i cant have really taken much in, as I thought the winning side would be remain... how wrong i was, and what a lot has happened snce then.
Re-reading this book was fascinating, for so many reasons - it was written in 2014 and updated just aqfter the 2015 election, so the author knew there would be a referendum sometime in 2016 or 2017, but date not set yet.
He also describes brilliantly Boris Johnson's key role in the build-up to the Leave campaign, though he of course knew nothihg of what woud transpire. And the way he writes, I am sceptical that he would have ever written "the 2 possible letters" (1 leave and 1 remain) - as he had so clearly advocated against the EU for so long.
But even more interesting was the fact that the Labour party, including Blair, Brown and especially Ed Balls, were consistently half-hearted to hostile about Europe, while in power. Even more disappointing as it almost seems that their supposed "interest in stayng in the EU" came only as oppositional posturing.
What a mess .... and wee re going to live with this now for years.
Essential reading, especially as he wrote a 'diary' throughout the 1990s onwards, that he quotes from extensively, describing what was going on, meetings and discussions, political moves etc with names that are so familiar to us now. So he's npt ev en writing with the benefit of hindsight.
Re-reading this book was fascinating, for so many reasons - it was written in 2014 and updated just aqfter the 2015 election, so the author knew there would be a referendum sometime in 2016 or 2017, but date not set yet.
He also describes brilliantly Boris Johnson's key role in the build-up to the Leave campaign, though he of course knew nothihg of what woud transpire. And the way he writes, I am sceptical that he would have ever written "the 2 possible letters" (1 leave and 1 remain) - as he had so clearly advocated against the EU for so long.
But even more interesting was the fact that the Labour party, including Blair, Brown and especially Ed Balls, were consistently half-hearted to hostile about Europe, while in power. Even more disappointing as it almost seems that their supposed "interest in stayng in the EU" came only as oppositional posturing.
What a mess .... and wee re going to live with this now for years.
Essential reading, especially as he wrote a 'diary' throughout the 1990s onwards, that he quotes from extensively, describing what was going on, meetings and discussions, political moves etc with names that are so familiar to us now. So he's npt ev en writing with the benefit of hindsight.
December 28, 2019
This was an immensely fascinating book, and a very good read, even after the Tories have won a recent landslide election. It explains the history behind the relationship of Europe and Britain, and now Britain has never really saw itself as European.
There are lots of interesting sections that describe why ultimately Brexit did occur. The most important points to make out of it was the influence of the Murdoch media and the false facts being spread around, and the weak argument for being pro EU. Those two factors are undoubtably the biggest contributors to why Brexit happened.
Definitely a book that can be reread numerous times, a fascinating and well written book!
There are lots of interesting sections that describe why ultimately Brexit did occur. The most important points to make out of it was the influence of the Murdoch media and the false facts being spread around, and the weak argument for being pro EU. Those two factors are undoubtably the biggest contributors to why Brexit happened.
Definitely a book that can be reread numerous times, a fascinating and well written book!
June 2, 2020
This book has taught me so much about how the Leave vote won over the EU back in 2016. The book was written before the referendum day and yet the prevision was right. I think this is a must read because it shows especially how bad the media controls politics. The author is very eloquent and it is very easy to understand even if there's loads of information.
September 1, 2017
A very interesting view about the relationship between the UK and European Project. The author predicted that, if a referendum went through, the outcome would be a vote to Leave.
A must read to understand Brexit and the reasons behind that decision, specially if you're not British.
A must read to understand Brexit and the reasons behind that decision, specially if you're not British.
January 1, 2020
Britain is not leaving Europe, it is leaving the EU.
Like most British I love Europe but hate the EU.
Like most British I love Europe but hate the EU.
January 9, 2021
How did Brexit come about and what does it means for Britain? This book sheds light on the historical event which is unfolding now.
February 22, 2016
I was given in Leeds City Centre a leaflet by the `Europe Out’ campaign telling me that if we remained in the EU the NHS would be destroyed and we wouldn't find a cure for cancer. This was so plainly nonsensical I was driven to buy this book, which I hoped might provide me with a more reasoned debate.
And it does fulfil that need, mostly. Denis MacShane comes from the pro-Europe camp, and is a politician with a chequered background, but it doesn’t detract from his central argument. Most of the book is a `How did we get to this point?’ rather than a `Where should we proceed from here?’ So he tells the story of 50 or so years of Britain’s involvement with Europe and the reaction of each government to Europe. There is a definite shift as the war time generation that was so desperate to bring peace has died, and is replaced by a younger more hard-nosed generation that can’t remember and is willing to repeat the same mistakes again. He argues a centralised Europe will bring stability which I think in the end is the pro-Europeans strongest card. If we don’t stay together we’ll fall apart. There is a lot of coverage on how a Brexit will affect Britain, but not so much how it will affect Europe, which in the long run will seriously affect Britain too. He argues that in every 60 years for the last 300 years there has been a major war in Europe - and that 60 years is up now. A bit simplistic perhaps, but there are shadows on the horizon certainly.
McShane argues too that the anti-European camp are more bullish, not having to apologise for the past as it hasn’t happened yet. Whearas the pro-Europeans are more squirming, `We know Europe has it’s faults, but…’ which doesn’t sound so appealing to the voter. It is the old `grass is greener on the other side of the fence’ type scenario.
I am broadly pro-European myself, although it does have its faults it’s true (see I’m doing it too!) It’s like being married to someone for a long time, and disliking certain aspects of your partner’s personality, but on the whole the good outweighs the bad. I despair of British press. McShane devotes a chapter to the press and he lists some of the anti-European lies which beggars belief to be honest. Some of the crude xenophobia makes you ashamed to be British. They have closed their minds, and the majority of the media are aiming their big guns now on a Brexit, and reasoned debate has gone out of the window. McShane calls Farage a `golf-club bore’ which maybe is inaccurate. He’s not boring, but if you listen beyond the sound-bites very little of it is logical.
So I would recommend people to buy this, or at least to think more deeply about the subject and not base their decision on some Radio phone-in vox pop.
And it does fulfil that need, mostly. Denis MacShane comes from the pro-Europe camp, and is a politician with a chequered background, but it doesn’t detract from his central argument. Most of the book is a `How did we get to this point?’ rather than a `Where should we proceed from here?’ So he tells the story of 50 or so years of Britain’s involvement with Europe and the reaction of each government to Europe. There is a definite shift as the war time generation that was so desperate to bring peace has died, and is replaced by a younger more hard-nosed generation that can’t remember and is willing to repeat the same mistakes again. He argues a centralised Europe will bring stability which I think in the end is the pro-Europeans strongest card. If we don’t stay together we’ll fall apart. There is a lot of coverage on how a Brexit will affect Britain, but not so much how it will affect Europe, which in the long run will seriously affect Britain too. He argues that in every 60 years for the last 300 years there has been a major war in Europe - and that 60 years is up now. A bit simplistic perhaps, but there are shadows on the horizon certainly.
McShane argues too that the anti-European camp are more bullish, not having to apologise for the past as it hasn’t happened yet. Whearas the pro-Europeans are more squirming, `We know Europe has it’s faults, but…’ which doesn’t sound so appealing to the voter. It is the old `grass is greener on the other side of the fence’ type scenario.
I am broadly pro-European myself, although it does have its faults it’s true (see I’m doing it too!) It’s like being married to someone for a long time, and disliking certain aspects of your partner’s personality, but on the whole the good outweighs the bad. I despair of British press. McShane devotes a chapter to the press and he lists some of the anti-European lies which beggars belief to be honest. Some of the crude xenophobia makes you ashamed to be British. They have closed their minds, and the majority of the media are aiming their big guns now on a Brexit, and reasoned debate has gone out of the window. McShane calls Farage a `golf-club bore’ which maybe is inaccurate. He’s not boring, but if you listen beyond the sound-bites very little of it is logical.
So I would recommend people to buy this, or at least to think more deeply about the subject and not base their decision on some Radio phone-in vox pop.
September 9, 2024
(The following is an excerpt from a book report I wrote for some uni course back in December 2016.)
I was a bit disappointed when I realised the book actually deals with the History of Britain’s complicated relations with the European Union, and what made the British vote in favor of Brexit by 52% to 48% last June. When I started my reading, I thought it would explain in details the mechanisms and consequences of the United Kingdom leaving the EU, and what would happen in the next few years—after all, the book is entitled How Britain Will Leave Europe and not Why Britain Might Leave Europe, which gives rise to confusion. I should not have judge the book by its (very pretty!) cover too quickly.
Nevertheless, even if it isn’t the kind of book I could read within a few days because of some passages that were very political which made it hard to stay focused, it was a very interesting read. On the whole, the vocabulary was quite easy to understand and many of the notions the author refers to have been studied in class before. Most of the political figures mentioned were familiar names too, but it helped me get a better understanding of their position in the British political system and why they were for or against Brexit.
I liked the extracts from MacShane’s diaries very much: I think it adds a personal touch and stays objective at the same time. It was also interesting to read quotes from other politicians and old newspapers’ editions on the subject (I liked, for instance, how the author highlights two excerpts from articles published in the Sun and the Daily Star, page 172, to show the lies that can be told by well-known newspapers and the influence they have over British people).
Regarding the Brexit process itself, I learned many reasons that led the majority to vote for leaving the European Union. During the last few months before and after the referendum, newspapers usually repeated the same things over and over, but this book showed me that it’s deeper than it looks. The dislike for the EU actually started decades ago and slowly grew in people’s minds. Now that Brexit is about to be triggered, we can only wait and see.
I was a bit disappointed when I realised the book actually deals with the History of Britain’s complicated relations with the European Union, and what made the British vote in favor of Brexit by 52% to 48% last June. When I started my reading, I thought it would explain in details the mechanisms and consequences of the United Kingdom leaving the EU, and what would happen in the next few years—after all, the book is entitled How Britain Will Leave Europe and not Why Britain Might Leave Europe, which gives rise to confusion. I should not have judge the book by its (very pretty!) cover too quickly.
Nevertheless, even if it isn’t the kind of book I could read within a few days because of some passages that were very political which made it hard to stay focused, it was a very interesting read. On the whole, the vocabulary was quite easy to understand and many of the notions the author refers to have been studied in class before. Most of the political figures mentioned were familiar names too, but it helped me get a better understanding of their position in the British political system and why they were for or against Brexit.
I liked the extracts from MacShane’s diaries very much: I think it adds a personal touch and stays objective at the same time. It was also interesting to read quotes from other politicians and old newspapers’ editions on the subject (I liked, for instance, how the author highlights two excerpts from articles published in the Sun and the Daily Star, page 172, to show the lies that can be told by well-known newspapers and the influence they have over British people).
Regarding the Brexit process itself, I learned many reasons that led the majority to vote for leaving the European Union. During the last few months before and after the referendum, newspapers usually repeated the same things over and over, but this book showed me that it’s deeper than it looks. The dislike for the EU actually started decades ago and slowly grew in people’s minds. Now that Brexit is about to be triggered, we can only wait and see.
Currently reading
June 28, 2016Probably not a book I will finish, but I wanted to get a view of what was published before the disaster the UK elected to chose. As a German we are losing a close frenemy when the channel will be a border and the tunnel closed, or whatever happens now. The lies which led the poor, badly informed people to chose recession are exposed in this book and other factors explained.
That they saw no further than the vote is evident, now the Brexit-yai-sayers are backtracking and lying again, saying it will not be bad, Europeans can stay in the UK etc. etc. They might be surprised how that will turn out, they cannot leave the EU, not pay anymore of the required (and still diplomatically lowered to keep the UK in) money but not take any immigrants. So, even though the Brexit happened, there is no plan in place, and both the leave/stay-parties have been caught by the outcome, which should not have been a surprise.
The Murdoch led Newspapers played their part in the election, imho. But that is just a guess, I must investigate further.
That they saw no further than the vote is evident, now the Brexit-yai-sayers are backtracking and lying again, saying it will not be bad, Europeans can stay in the UK etc. etc. They might be surprised how that will turn out, they cannot leave the EU, not pay anymore of the required (and still diplomatically lowered to keep the UK in) money but not take any immigrants. So, even though the Brexit happened, there is no plan in place, and both the leave/stay-parties have been caught by the outcome, which should not have been a surprise.
The Murdoch led Newspapers played their part in the election, imho. But that is just a guess, I must investigate further.
April 17, 2016
Whatever your political viewpoint , whether in terms of party or the European question itself, this is essential reading in the run up to the referendum. Here are just four nuggets from the book to illustrate why it’s worth the read:
• It documents some truly wild swings in opinion on Europe in both directions from surprising names form all the major parties
• It gives an interesting spin on Hayek as an advocate of European Union
• It’s by a pro-European who comes across as almost despairing at what he feels the outcome of the referendum may be.
• Despite that despair he does put forward the interesting idea that the rest of Europe might be better off if the UK did it leave as they could progress and prosper without the UK which might then return to the fold on seeing that prosperity. I am not sure that I buy that suggestion but it’s interesting one none the less
• It documents some truly wild swings in opinion on Europe in both directions from surprising names form all the major parties
• It gives an interesting spin on Hayek as an advocate of European Union
• It’s by a pro-European who comes across as almost despairing at what he feels the outcome of the referendum may be.
• Despite that despair he does put forward the interesting idea that the rest of Europe might be better off if the UK did it leave as they could progress and prosper without the UK which might then return to the fold on seeing that prosperity. I am not sure that I buy that suggestion but it’s interesting one none the less
September 29, 2016
Gripping. MacShane could see where things were going from a very early stage. While he pitches his tent to the blairite side, he is under no delusions of how things will go and underlines all the mistakes New Labour made as far as Europe is concerned. I was particularly intrigued with his bluntness in explaining why Murdoch is so anti-EU (because he's fundamentally pro-US, is the short answer). I'd be very interested to read the next installment
June 4, 2016
One of the most boring books ever written. I'd hoped to find some reasons to leave or remain in the EU, but left disappointed. The reasons may have been there, hidden in the boredom, but I am none the wiser. The reason I don't know whether to Brexit is because the EU is the most boring subject in the world. It always has been.
March 22, 2016
A quick history of Britain's relationship with the continent. Especially, how both Labor and the Tories have been "right, left and center" on the Europe issue.
May 20, 2016
The UK should probably stay in Europe...
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews