Does the UK lose out in the Council? How opposition to EU proposals acts as a signal to domestic audiences

Those campaigning for a leave vote in Britain’s upcoming referendum often state that the UK has never been on the winning side when it has voted against a proposal in the Council of the European Union. Remain campaigners, however, have responded by arguing that agreements are made by consensus in the Council and that the UK has a strong level of influence. Sara Hagemann, Sara B. Hobolt and Christopher Wratil write that in reality votes against a proposal in the Council act largely as signals to a government’s domestic audience, and this explains why UK governments have voted against proposals more than other member states.