The EU and UK Government (Edexcel A Level Politics): Revision Note

What is the European Union?

• The European Union (EU) is an economic and political alliance made up of 27 European countries

  • It operates as a single market and aims to promote stability on the European continent

• UK voters chose to leave the EU in the Brexit referendum of 2016

• The UK officially left the EU on 31 January 2020, reducing the membership of the EU from 28 to 27 members

The aims of the EU

• The EU was set up initially as an economic community, and therefore its original ‘four freedoms’ were aims designed to support and develop economic prosperity

The Four Freedoms

• Free movement of goods

  • Allows trade across borders without tariffs

  • Achieved through the EU internal market, customs union, and common regulations

• Free movement of services

  • Enables service providers such as banks, insurers, and other businesses to operate across EU member states

• Free movement of people

  • Allows EU citizens to live and work in any member state

• Free movement of capital

  • Allows investment and financial integration across the EU

The development of the EU beyond an economic union

• As the EU evolved beyond being an economic union, it developed further aims

• Many of these were laid out in various treaties regarding the EU, beginning with the Maastricht Treaty in 1992

The three pillars of the Maastricht Treaty

Pillar 1: European Communities

• Oversaw economic, social and environmental policies

• Aimed to create a monetary union, setting the foundation for the Euro

• Managed the single market economy

• Crucially resulted in pooled sovereignty from member states

Pillar 2: Common foreign and security policy

• Coordinated the foreign policy of member states

• Created joint actions

• Required cooperation but did not involve surrendering sovereignty

Pillar 3: Justice and home affairs

• Aimed to create cross-border police cooperation

• Coordinated asylum rules and immigration policy

• Member states retained most control, although some issues were later moved to Pillar 1

Brexit and UK parliamentary sovereignty

• In 2016, a UK-wide referendum resulted in a vote for the UK to leave the European Union

  • This led to a range of agreements and legislation to achieve withdrawal

Key stages of Brexit

Outstanding issues following Brexit

• Northern Ireland sovereignty concerns

• Unresolved fisheries and services barriers

• Long-term UK–EU governance mechanisms for disputes

Impact of leaving the EU on UK parliamentary sovereignty

• In leaving the EU, Parliament reclaimed full sovereignty in the UK

• The withdrawal had a number of wider impacts

1. Legislative sovereignty

• Parliament regained the authority to legislate without automatic supremacy of EU law

• The European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 repealed the European Communities Act 1972

• EU law was converted into UK law as retained law

2. Impact on devolution

• Brexit shifted powers to the UK level, creating tensions with devolved governments

  • Northern Ireland

    • Special status under the Windsor Framework attempted to resolve NI’s position

    • Balances UK sovereignty with the Republic of Ireland remaining in the EU

  • Scotland

    • Voted to remain in the EU

    • Has discussed a second independence referendum after being taken out of the EU against the majority vote in Scotland

3. Economic impact

• Economic growth has been less positive than expected

  • Studies suggest GDP is 6–8% smaller in 2025 than if the UK had remained in the EU

  • Trade losses are estimated at £27bn

4. Impact on asylum and migration policy

• The UK has weaker powers to return asylum seekers to their country of origin

  • A legal vacuum has emerged despite negotiations with France and the EU

  • This has led to unilateral policies such as the Rwanda scheme