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the white cliffs of dover symbolize britain a model of democracy discretion and elegant restraint. but also a nation consistently skeptical about europe and there can be no doubt that this is indeed a zombie government's supposed every move i discovered i don't. know what her risking jail. are you. are you are not shared through any of the primary ground you are legislative breaks it means bret's that we are going to make a success of it. controversy over europe has a long tradition in britain. last.

sometimes britain gives europe the cold shoulder at other times it wants to go along and now britain wants to lead the european union why is britain so different . on the morning of june twenty fourth twenty sixteen many people in britain were still incredulous a day earlier the country voted by a very narrow majority to leave the european union. the day after the vote on the twenty fourth just imagine what the most frequently asked question on google was what did britons google most on june twenty fourth i'll tell you who is the e.u. is. the agitation grew from month to month does britain want to completely turn its

back on the continent this is talk less and in the end this is just a continuation of british schizophrenia about europe because britain will remain in europe with time where else otherwise. the nation is facing one of the greatest crises in its history. you can look at this being a true. as being something which is a very difficult pain to to feel it's even a true if you're on the winning side what do you do know you know you've won. what's the referendum a way for some people to vent their frustration because they long felt that they had been abandoned by their politicians. and those that don't now i mean it's allowed them to let everything out yes a bit like you would do in psychotherapy to say you think everything isn't so great that you're not getting why. you believe you've earned over expected for yourself

and the next generation you know that life has simply become more difficult the result comes from this mix of reasons and motives you call those like humans have for. there are plenty of clichés about the british. their independence is sacrosanct here over the course of their history the question has arisen again and again do we belong to europe or not. oh. it. belongs interesting to the front does england belong to europe well of course not well not. britain is a european country through and through. it's part of the whole history of of europe

europe is deep people to our history and we owe part of the history of the of europe. it's both of course it's part of europe just look at the geography but it's also a neighbor because it's off shore as they say it's an island it's not part of the continental. in some places england southern coast is only about forty kilometers away from the continent. on clear days you can see the french coast. for centuries taking a boat was the only way to get there. people see the channel as both a link and a boundary.

during world war two what came over the channel from the continent was by no means good. during the battle of britain in one nine hundred forty german air raids killed more than forty two thousand people in britain. by nine hundred forty five the european continent had been reduced to rubble. hard to imagine that enemies could ever become friends again. by the wars and many british cities were heavily destroyed above all london yet britain still had a functioning administration and a confident government. to offer it. economically they were ruined but they remain a proud nation unlike their european neighbors therefore england differed from the european nations and that it still felt well in its own national skin while we here in europe were very uncomfortable in our own national skins and that's why we

started to think of europe and europe merging into one. many will be proud to say i am an european. it was surprising that after the war the former british prime minister winston churchill called for a united europe as a major project for peace an englishman of all people. yes yes and what an englishman i mean winston churchill who like many of his generation also fought like a european it is indeed in one thousand nine hundred forty eight he addressed the peoples of europe from the hangover made in a model. that encouraged them essentially what he said in principle was i'll tell you something very exciting is that at the center of my idea for europe must be a reconciliation between france and germany and if there's a chance to get this devastated europe which has nearly destroyed itself in two

wars back on its feet well that's in britain's very own interest just not another war for god's sake. you are can only be united. by the help we all part come you for i'm vietnam and the difficult one i look at the time therefore i heard stephen lend these fun kunsan house invention and some i'll still playing it god will leave me being given no matter where they. are they've got it. and it is most going to have to resign but you must say that churchill was somewhat unclear about the details of britain belonging to this european union. but i. think now to get unstuck when the idea became reality britain looked on politely from the sidelines france and germany pushed for the establishment of the european coal and steel community in which six european countries were cooperate in producing these commodities in a memorable decision after centuries of national rivalry the people of europe

finally reached out to one another. our greatest task now is that europe must be created. german chancellor conrad odan allen was one of the first to recognize the significance britain could have for european unity. that he's learned about back then he found this wonderful word or he said he would like to see britain play a role in europe and then listen to the rest of the quote so that we won't be on our own with a more or less hysterical french. that was out in our in the autumn of fifty three no politician and europe would dare to speak so openly today. in march of one nine hundred fifty seven the people of europe were looking to rome this exam representatives from germany france italy belgium luxembourg and the

netherlands met there to found the european economic community e.c. the predecessor of today's. it was the moment european political unity was born. britain was noticeably disinterested it didn't even send press representatives to the preparatory conference. the dream of a united europe seemed tangibly close and the british simply stood aside and watched events unfold. britain behaved very stupidly in the one nine hundred fifty s. . back then we had the chance to take on leadership of a european community a european union. i know there were many continental europeans who wanted just that as britain was asked. and britain declined saying no no we're still a world power. this is the end of life during the fifty's

a slight condescension could be heard in british statements the arrogance of the old empire this out there for they kept their distance just churchill's speech got up and running then they said yes be friendly to the europeans but try to end the involvement. oh. oh. oh europe is too small for britain even today starting in the seventeenth century the nation spread its influence all around the globe to become the greatest colonial power in history. even today the queen is still the head of sixteen states from australia to new zealand. i think you've got to be very careful the british tend to be very nostalgic when they consider their own country and that's a danger because sometimes they nostalgic for something doesn't exist.

it. is usually pretty sick it's a friend it says. it's as if we still have an empire and that's part of the english mentality to a colonial mentality. we actually want to rule and conquer but we don't accept invitations. was in the one nine hundred sixty s. britain was the source of a cultural revolution its poppy was a conquered the european continent and the world. no other country in europe was as exciting as britain whether because of its real new ideas park or key traditions. just that something we had mire about england they give the world inventions that

the whole world the global village is crazy about never for mufon. britain was good for a few political surprises during this period as well. the economies of the continents six e.c. countries were growing but britain this wasn't suddenly the british were showing interest in becoming a member and applied to join in one thousand nine hundred sixty one. a decade of tug of war began between britain and the continent. prime minister harold macmillan even went to france to visit president charles de gaulle and campaign for membership. for weeks later to go answered at a press conference. we know today on if. but in the night. it is mary time with its nature structure and economic situation differ from the mentally from those of the countries located on the continent leading these conditions are undoubtedly incompatible with the

system that the six countries have developed. among themselves. you know it you'll know born then. since the norman conquest in the eleventh century the peoples of britain and france have had a difficult relationship with each other. due course no confirmed for many british the widespread cliche of french arrogance . yet at the same time they view trance as the land of pleasure and fine cooking. the business knife as it were a bit envious of the french of how they look how they live the flesh that they have in their lives. they move like the french but a man would never of an evening leave his lady alone with a frenchman

a bottle of wine. we don't trust them perfectly. because the tell put an end to britain's joining because in the e.c. all decisions had to be made unanimously a few days later prime minister macmillan appeared in front of the cameras in london. what i have wondered brussels yesterday was bad bad for us bad for your book bad for the whole free world a great opportunity had been missed mcmillian saddle britain asked again to join in nine hundred sixty seven again france answered no but the british stubbornly refused to give up and began looking for allies in europe that would support their application for membership of the e.c. . the british foreign secretary even went to bomb to ask for help.

the germans still favored having the british on board. there's a famous passage in village pants memoirs britain's foreign secretary at the time george brown comes to him and says really you've got to let assembly so that we can take over the leadership. that's just wonderful. we're back so to speak with the british attitude either a leadership role or not at all or to be sent into. the political mood in europe changed during the one nine hundred seventy s. to go ahead step down that put an end to the french resistance against british entry to the e.c. . accepting britain into the european community became conceivable and was the number one topic of conversation everywhere it was a good deal spiritual issue and so on up in

a style that is the longer here just one smidgeon lot on the continent and stuff that's on top of them in quite a serious way just be sufficient i need to sign on and learn to distill and so i can i will post fifty guys in line by line is far more important than merely them but i'm told. by cadence joining was a fear of rising prices until then the british could import cheap food from former colonies after joining the e.c. they would have to buy more expensive products from europe. the european community in this case was not seen as a political alliance but solely as a common market. is just from but it's already telling that the british would speak of the common market back then. you did mainly as an economic union. and that is what it was that's the. direction of the economic question was always

at the root of the european question does it benefit us or hurt us well everything get cheaper or will it become more costly to toil he'd made. it. official membership negotiations began in the summer of one nine hundred seventy. s. . the british were already sparking tensions even before the joining us. they wanted membership but were demanding special rights but the europeans didn't soften yes to membership no to special exceptions. the negotiations went on for two and a half years. meanwhile in britain the economy was struggling continual strikes had paralyzed the country. the government was hoping that membership would revive the economy but many people remain skeptical. in january one thousand nine hundred seventy two

the accords were ready for signing in brussels. but the sound money got off to an inauspicious start prime minister edward heath was splattered with nk this was immediately viewed as a protest against british accession later it emerged that the culprit was a german with an alleged personal grudge against heath's government. force. formula yet for many the incident was nevertheless seen as a bad omen for british membership in the e.c. . you also knew very well. after an hour's delay edward heath finally signed the treaty of accession in brussels. more than a decade had gone by since britain first asked to join. now britain already entered

its economy towards the continent. and the british brought new accents to the community it was the start of an exciting partnership. first there was the question of official languages english began to prevail over french. most they came on very confidently as an important partner all the. and they view their own role in a completely self assured way there's never been a problem but naturally you could still since the distance in that they actually never really felt at home in europe. and europe how to get used to the. new car. the british were wary from the outset. would happen when this country joined

the european union was that it was seen as a necessary thing to do because of decline because you're succeeding economically and the americans were pushing for it it wasn't seen as an expression of. positive growth it was seen as. something we had to do. if we had this feeling that this european community was fundamentally designed by different architects by the french and germans and belgians and italians in that sense it isn't really our house. the all over europe and also took place in all the major parties in parliament so the government in one nine hundred seventy five decided just two years after britain joined to hold a referendum on membership. they introduced this referendum because many voices were still saying this relationship this marriage with europe that cannot be our

mission our destiny. so we want to put it to the people one more time and then this one unfold before leaving. supporters and opponents began to campaign. i won't go into your house or explanation why you want to be got out of the summit and of hunger games and. need to sort of. get more falling definitely only going to explain why. first of four hundred in the minds of unmarked annoyance i'm not the same guy up there by that he gave us the heart can't write well now see me explain right now that he prizes a horse and tries to show you how i think we got a bender here so it's all along of the incident. only be about to begin where

better is done is tonight never gone and all we must be missing in your study is this happening to us for those london vanished and live in. the first referendum in britain's history all produced a surprisingly clear result more than sixty seven percent voted in favor of staying in the european community. a few hours later the prime minister at the time harold wilson gave a press conference outside ten downing street. the british police beautiful a cut cloud on top resigning his divorce and child on the fate. of the old patient of mine shaft of the european community. a bit more to me the british were never honestly told what was actually behind the e.c. namely an increasingly closer union of a political kind that was never said because all the prime ministers knew very well if we told our people the truth that this was about more than free trade and

improved economic relations and let's say polemically was a super state then they never would have said yes in the one nine hundred seventy five referendum. yes we want to stay they always kick that down the road and it came back to haunt them later. losing saw frontier and being bullied by drop our deep seeded fears of the british nation. into call. the question what is our parliament worth what influence my faint do i actually have as a voter and if the parliament says something then the e.u. can come along and say no. in the european community britain is just one country among many a fact reflected in the anonymous was sought in brussels. and europe and brussels there subtenants but no on the island their masters of their own house.

margaret thatcher became prime minister in may nine hundred seventy nine. the first woman head of government in europe was to put european government representatives to the test again and again. to go on and i think she was an iron lady but when it was about europe. as an economic union then she was one hundred percent in favor of that and she wanted to further and. came when things got too political. that's where she drew the line itself. marched right in with her big handbag that was already a statement of how she made her entrance talked. to one a discount on the british financial contributions she argued that the country was paying in more than it was getting back from brussels in agricultural subsidies.

we are not asking for the abandoned. vehicles the tongan we have on and i'm the one in colson. own money back. at some point in the night she even burst into tears and pulled out all the stops to make her point and she managed in the end she was really insistent annoying to be honest it was are. you also a bit disappointed about mrs thatcher's stubborn position. of course i'm disappointed europe has to speak with one voice and we're putting on a miserable show i can't accept that. she wouldn't let it go much to the horror of our partners in europe in the end they gave in because they couldn't stand her battle cry i want my money back or any more i want my money back we need the money. it's promised.

she was an unrelenting woman surrounded by powerful men a new experience for european politicians like helmut kohl or hans want to tell hong. kong strangely enough he is the socialist french president song. and then a very conservative prime minister margaret thatcher got on very well and. somehow they understood each other. some of that had a bit to do with the frenchmen and an english lady with helen it was just the opposite they didn't get on it all from the first time they met. they came from two different planets because she couldn't stand this german one time on the return flight from summit talks in bonn she said oh my god that man is so german. the british first tried to prevent german reunification

too great was their fear of an all powerful germany that would go on to play a new role in the heart of europe. behind in germany we don't have the luxury of maintaining distance and the british observed germany right in the middle of the continent and today we've got nine neighbors all of them friendly the british would have nightmares if they had to bear having so many neighbors scotland is already enough for the english and. an englishman is simply to relate to this romantic image of a united europe. finally in one thousand nine hundred there was a new hope for the europeans but john major didn't receive much support for his ideas in the british parliament. that made major mark the start of a new generation who very early on made a famous speech in which he said we want to play a role in the heart of europe we want to be at the heart of europe. but the joy

wasn't to last major's conservative party forced him to negotiate opt out clause is in order to avoid fiscal burden sharing for joint decisions europe closed ranks politically while the british gradually began stepping back. yet there was an event during major's term in office that fundamentally changed britain's relationship to the continent. in may one thousand nine hundred ninety four the queen travelled by train to france through the new tunnel under the english channel. the rail journey from brussels to london was reduced to just over two and a half hours. best while cetera expresses that we do belong to your ip and building this tunnel together. told about.

a giraffe trailing to france that was a shade too close for many and great. love of garlic from france infections from drinking too much red wine sick sexual behavior from god knows what else we were afraid of everything european appears. today more than ten million people travel by train through the tunnel annually it has brought britain and mainland europe closer together despite all kinds of resistance. but anyone who wants to board a train to the continent still has to show their passport. meanwhile on the european mainland borders between most e.u. countries were opened in march one thousand nine hundred five here passport checks became i think the past when the schengen treaty came into a fact. the brief amount of troops now the british

didn't want to join in another project that was close to european hearts introducing the common currency the euro the british pound remained a symbol of the nation's independence. on may first two thousand for ten more. trees joined the european union. britain became one of the first countries to push to have its labor market opened for people from eastern europe on the european mainland they waited several more years to do that increased immigration stoked british mistrust many saw the newcomers as unwelcome competitors for jobs and housing the politics. has really had a very hard time dealing adequately with this feeling and this unease to actually respond effectively. to. since the start of the new millennium

the euro skeptic party you can't and its leader nigel for raj exploited these fears for raj maintained brussels influence is too great. a wayside enough so that we actually want to govern our own country make our own rules control all right golden. prime minister david cameron was feeling more and more pressure he wanted to stay in the e.u. and lay the european question to rest once and for all with a referendum memories of the first ballot resurfaced. the problem was the same one that harold wilson had already had he wanted to stay in power and reaffirm his position by putting the european question to the people for a vote for the ukip demanded that as well and cameron saw himself forced to jump on board this moving train in order to limit the allure of ukip when. once again the question was remain or leave for

a second time the british were to vote on e.u. membership. the progress that campaigners intentionally targeted people's fears. they'd given to why all holders were even given away all our schools this is european union it isn't that. the issue of immigration was ever. present. the crucial thing to understand about immigration which played a big role in one sense as a fear factor in the referendum is that it it represented a loss of faith and control. it was a slogan in a referendum take back control and in that sense it was about sovereignty it was about democracy it was about how we are governed take back control. take control. take back control my friends of our democracy. prime minister

david cameron campaigned for printer planning the european union but he wanted perform all saying we are stronger out west safe but we're better off if we stay. the government decided that he didn't want to say anything positive about the european union it didn't want to discuss what was good about freedom of movement how we're allowed us to go to european currencies it it it accepted the basic narrative of the euro skeptics. and then it said but we call and afford to leave so oddly enough the pro european government campaign also euro skeptic they didn't have enough reasons to say why the e.u. was so important the race was run the skeptics already had the upper hand on. the atmosphere was so volatile that in the week before the referendum a pro e.u.

member of parliament joe cox was murdered by a radical e.u. opponent. three days later the campaign resumed. seventy two percent of those entitled to vote did cell nearly fifty two percent voted in favor of leaving. while forty eight percent wanted to remain in the e.u. the margin couldn't have been much closer. it. was a purely a protest vote why did scotland and northern ireland vote to remain speculation about the reasons for the outcome began immediately one answer was social inequality. large areas of northern england were facing economic ruin. london's immensely wealthy the west country the north very poor and people resented

that and they felt well you know who are who do these people think they'll get a running us and they blamed the english blame the european union for that gradually the question arose of what form bracks it would actually take nobody said to voters it's going to take many years it will be very complicated. searcher and nobody was realistic about it. for a long time there was a great deal of uncertainty about what bracks actually meant it wasn't until january twenty seventeen that the new prime minister theresa may set the course. not partial membership but the european union. membership of the european union or anything that leaves hockey in heart out we're not sick to hold on membership as we leave. negotiators open talks and brussels in june twenty seventeen

one meeting followed the next again and again the british and european wrangled to reach agreement. intense debate continued back in britain as well in london more than half a million people turned out to call for a new referendum. the demonstrators spoke out against backset and the increasing anti foreign atmosphere one estimate was over over a million relationships have broken up over bret's it families are breaking up over exit very deep growth the cloned ordinance you get at the beginning of a civil war very painful. then after a year and a half of tough to go she asians there seem to be a solution. theresa may and the e.u. agreed on a soft plan it guaranteed the rights of e.u. citizens in britain and british people living on the continent. perhaps the most

important point was that it would establish a free trade area between britain and the e.u. for industrial and agricultural products. the british people don't want to spend any more time doing about tricks that they want a good deal that fulfills the value of the allows us to come together again as a country. after that the sparks really began to fly hartline breck's it here has accused her recent way of paying too much heed to the voices of the remain ors who didn't want a hard exit from the e.u. she was as she had to get this camp on board whether she wanted to or not because after all she had belonged to it herself she voted for remain in the referendum remain. and she decided to stay inside the european space and the same time he's going to leave it. which is impossible so she got caught up

with movies tensions. fears of crashing out without a deal grow. the authorities even simulated a traffic jam to determine the level of disruption breck's it could cause around the ports. people began to buy and hoard food and other supplies in fear of shortages in the shops. car manufacturers announced plans to move production abroad . and bankers and brokers in the city were worried about their deals. political showdown began in london. on it theresa may was fighting on several fronts against members of the opposition who are demanding stronger ties to the e.u. and those calling for a harbor exit from within the ranks of her own party. particularly fail to do so.

is an atmosphere of desperation. the border between ireland and northern ireland became a thorny issue because of britain leaves the e.u. it will become an external new border. i think is still the right. through the narrow. parliament voted down the exit agreement with the e.u. twice in the parliamentary vote after parliamentary vote followed against exit ing without a deal for a delay of rexx it and a series of amendments. and fanaa that was a sign of course and with it came the people's recognition that complete chaos was raining in westminster. with me tonight as callous as. britain's confidence in their parliament. representatives has hit new depths these

days but i'm so bored with the whole thing i don't read anything more about it all for it's just gone on far too long we got into this mess because of the incompetence of our governments over forty years of looking off themselves looking off the rich not looking after the people but i find it is. i'm just sorry britons going like this person should be invested in this. discord still dominates when it comes to people's feelings about britain's relationship with europe. but nothing that europeans will go well but they see the european union. not as terrible we had all told me until. the the european community and slowly crept into our politics and started taking over i'm for breaks and i hope that it goes so i wish the english government wouldn't delay it and basically

i'd like to leave you up because i don't think it's working for us i'm all. but the concept that reading in simple is an illusion. we couldn't escape from the european union so there is the this is our reality we have to live in the world that we are really in and we have to we have to have a political system which can face that. if even a decent bridge how will this political class that has shown itself to be incapable of meeting this challenge how will they regain their prestige to govern in the name of the people when they were unable to achieve consensus in the name of the people i'm. so what's next still nothing is clear delay play for time. meanwhile the unrest continues.

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this is t w news coming to you live from over before a shaky cease fire fails to take hold in the middle east has israel and gaza exchanged rocket fire into the night israel says it destroyed the offices of the hamas leader in retaliation for a strike deep inside israel also coming up. british.