New Labour, New European Policy? Blair, Brown and Utilitarian Supranationalism

This article argues that since 1997 the Labour governments have practised a European policy of ‘utilitarian supranationalism’. Their strategy has been characterised by a preparedness to embrace European policy solutions in line with Labour's 1997 manifesto commitment to pursue a constructive diplomacy in the European Union (EU). This policy, it is argued, has led to a stronger British imprint on the character of the EU. However, this (upstream) stage of utilitarian supranationalism has been accompanied by efforts in the downstream stage to reduce the domestic electoral salience of the EU. Consequently, the government's diplomacy shows no sign of garnering additional domestic support for the EU.