Not walking backwards: the future of the UK-EU relationship with Marina Wheeler KC

The UK in a Changing Europe Podcast

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4.3 • 105 Ratings

🗓️ 28 January 2026

⏱️ 32 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Upon entering office, the Labour government embarked on a reset in its relationship with the European Union. In this episode of the UK in a Changing Europe podcast, Anand Menon is joined by Marina Wheeler KC, author of A more perfect union, for a discussion on how the UK should manage its relationship with the EU . A self-proclaimed supporter of the European project turned Brexiter, Marina puts forward her case that closer ties with the EU and making Brexit a success are not mutually exclusive. Tune in to hear her reflections on the impact of global turmoil on the relationship and the, the shared values and issues that bring together the UK and the EU, as well as how the EU might feel about it all.

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hi everyone and welcome to this latest instalment of the UK in a changing Europe podcast.
0:10.4	Just because the world's gone mad, I should probably tell you when we're recording this.
0:15.0	We're recording this immediately after Trump finished speaking at Davos.
0:19.4	So if the world's totally different by the time you listen to this, it's not my fault.
0:22.6	You've been warned.
0:23.4	But this is when we're talking.
0:25.1	And for today's episode, we're joined by Marina Wheeler, KC, author of a new book on
0:30.1	UK relations with the European Union called More Perfect Union.
0:33.0	Marina, welcome.
0:34.2	Thank you very much.
0:35.2	So just in broad brush terms, your book is about how and under what circumstances
0:40.5	the UK should engage more or be more involved with the European Union?
0:44.7	Can you just sort of briefly talk us through the main arguments?
0:47.2	We'll dig into it a bit after that.
0:48.9	Yes.
0:49.3	I mean, the book, I wrote the book because I took the view that we needed to carry on talking
0:53.7	about the UK's relationship with the EU, which is presumably also why you're still here.
0:59.6	Yep.
1:00.2	So the book, yeah.
1:02.3	But as you say, the world gets odder and odder.
1:05.0	So even more reason to keep talking about it.
1:07.9	But the thesis is really, it looks at why I personally shifted from being a
	...

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