Uploaded September 2019 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s Eurosceptic credentials have been contested and some argue his ultimate commitment is to a pragmatic self-interest. Be that as it may, his administration’s preference for a Free Trade Agreement and its willingness to exit the European Union without a deal is genuine. In the opinion polls the Conservatives continue to hold a double-digit lead over Labour (YouGov, 2019) whilst the Leader of the Opposition’s personal ratings compare poorly to Johnson’s. After the 29the March deadline to exit the EU passed and momentum seemingly with a Remain dominated Parliament, in the space of a few short months, the likelihood of the United Kingdom remaining in the European Union has decreased.
In this public lecture, IES Senior Fellow Dr Matt Beech, offers an interpretation of recent events in the Conservative and Unionist Party and examine their significance for British, European and American politics.
Dr Matt Beech FRHistS, FRSA is founding Director of the Centre for British Politics at the University of Hull. He is Senior Fellow at the Institute of European Studies, UC Berkeley and Associate Member of the Centre de Recherches en Civilisation Britannique, Sorbonne Nouvelle - Paris 3. He was a Thorneycroft Memorial Scholar at the University of Southampton, where he studied for his PhD under Professor the Lord Plant of Highfield.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s Eurosceptic credentials have been contested and some argue his ultimate commitment is to a pragmatic self-interest. Be that as it may, his administration’s preference for a Free Trade Agreement and its willingness to exit the European Union without a deal is genuine. In the opinion polls the Conservatives continue to hold a double-digit lead over Labour (YouGov, 2019) whilst the Leader of the Opposition’s personal ratings compare poorly to Johnson’s. After the 29the March deadline to exit the EU passed and momentum seemingly with a Remain dominated Parliament, in the space of a few short months, the likelihood of the United Kingdom remaining in the European Union has decreased.
In this public lecture, IES Senior Fellow Dr Matt Beech, offers an interpretation of recent events in the Conservative and Unionist Party and examine their significance for British, European and American politics.
Dr Matt Beech FRHistS, FRSA is founding Director of the Centre for British Politics at the University of Hull. He is Senior Fellow at the Institute of European Studies, UC Berkeley and Associate Member of the Centre de Recherches en Civilisation Britannique, Sorbonne Nouvelle - Paris 3. He was a Thorneycroft Memorial Scholar at the University of Southampton, where he studied for his PhD under Professor the Lord Plant of Highfield.
