A British bridge to a divided Europe

Britain has much to fear from an acrimonious divorce, as it will inevitably be swept into its turbulent wake

The European Union has never been very popular in Britain. It joined late, and its voters will be asked on 23 June whether they want to leave early. The referendum's outcome will not be legally binding on the government; but it is inconceivable that Britain will stay if the public's verdict is to quit.

Over the years, the focus of the British debate about Europe has shifted. In the 1960s and 1970s, the question was whether Britain could afford not to join what was then the European Economic Community. The fear was that the UK would be shut out of the world's fastest-growing market, and that its partnership with the US would be at risk as well: The western alliance would consist of two pillars, and Europe, not a shrunken Britain, would be one of them.

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