Half In, Half Out: Prime Ministers on Europe

The decades since the end of the Second World War have seen massive change sweep across Britain’s social, cultural and political landscape. Yet throughout this period, one thing has remained constant and unchanging: the thorny question of our relationship with Europe.

Europe, and Britain’s place in or out of it, has always been a hugely divisive factor - on either side of the political spectrum - creating warring camps in both the Labour and Conservative parties. Famous Europhiles to put their heads above the parapets over the years have included Conservatives Ted Heath and David Cameron, as well as Tony Blair for Labour, while leading Europhobes count among their number the former Conservative Prime Ministers Anthony Eden and Margaret Thatcher.

Born out of a series of Oxford University lectures devised by the former director of the Number 10 Policy Unit, Andrew Adonis, Half in, Half Out presents a comprehensive and enlightening look at Britain’s Prime Ministers of the past seven decades - and explores their often hugely differing attitudes towards our neighbours on the other side of the Channel.