Dan Snow's History Hit cover image

Dan Snow's History Hit

How did Brexit Happen? A History

Jul 1, 2024
Professor Tim Bale discusses the historical journey of Brexit from Britain's initial integration with the EU to the divisive referendum. Topics include Labour's stance on European integration, Theresa May's struggles with Brexit execution, potential post-Brexit scenarios, and the effects of Brexit on the UK economy and society.
44:37

Episode guests

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

  • Britain's initial hesitation to join the EEC stemmed from socialist and nationalistic concerns in the 1950s.
  • Margaret Thatcher's shift from pro-Europe to Eurosceptic reflected wider divides within the Conservative Party in the 70s and 80s.

Deep dives

Britain's Entry into the European Economic Community

In the 1950s, the European Economic Community (EEC) was established with the aim of integrating economies and politics. Britain, initially hesitant due to socialist and nationalistic concerns, later sought to join the EEC as its economy lagged behind. Despite resistance, Britain finally joined in 1973, following a referendum in 1975 that displayed public support for EEC membership.

Get the Snipd
podcast app

Unlock the knowledge in podcasts with the podcast player of the future.
App store bannerPlay store banner

AI-powered
podcast player

Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features

Discover
highlights

Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode

Save any
moment

Hear something you like? Tap your headphones to save it with AI-generated key takeaways

Share
& Export

Send highlights to Twitter, WhatsApp or export them to Notion, Readwise & more

AI-powered
podcast player

Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features

Discover
highlights

Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode