Hand-waving as renegotiation: The UK’s (and EU’s) limited options

David Cameron has committed a future majority Conservative Government to a renegotiation of the terms of British membership of the European Union, followed by an in/out referendum. While much has been made of the political implications of a British exit, less attention has been paid to the substance of what a renegotiated settlement might amount to. Dr Simon Usherwood of the University of Surrey argues that options for meaningful ‘repatriations’ are limited, and that it is likely that any renegotiation will be more symbol than substance.