Brexit and Margaret Thatcher's Eurosceptic Legacy

Ever since Brexit, an increasing number of scholars have devoted their attention to investigating the roots of British Euroscepticism. In so doing, many have found an alleged culprit in Margaret Thatcher and her Eurosceptic legacy. The aim of this chapter is to problematise these claims. In order to do so, the first section of the chapter contextualises Thatcher’s Eurosceptic legacy within the Conservative Party, while the second analyses the Brexit vote by relating its electoral patterns to core Thatcherite issues. The chapter thus highlights how, despite the fact that Thatcher influenced the Conservative attitude towards European Integration even after her departure from power, British Euroscepticism and Brexit derive from a more nuanced and complex political reality that cannot be solely attributed to Thatcher’s political legacy. © 2024 selection and editorial matter, Andrea Guiso and Daniele Pasquinucci; individual chapters, the contributors.