Podcast Summary: LSE Public Lectures and Events

Episode: "Europe – the traitor's kiss"
Date: February 4, 2010
Speaker: Chris Bryant, British Minister for Europe
Host: Damian Chalmers, Head of LSE European Institute

Episode Overview

This episode features a lecture by Chris Bryant, the then British Minister for Europe, as part of LSE’s ACPO Perspectives on Europe series. Bryant critically addresses British Euroscepticism, arguing that it damages national interests and proposing a bolder, more unified UK approach within the EU. He discusses the myths of Euroscepticism, outlines the positive impacts of EU membership, and explores how the EU should respond to the rise of global economic powers. The session later moves into a robust Q&A covering EU corruption, transatlantic relations, the Euro, enlargement, discipline among member states, and Europe’s collective security and foreign policy challenges.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Origins of the Title and Opening Remarks

• Bryant explains the lecture title, “The Traitor’s Kiss”, as an incidental reference to a book about Richard Brinsley Sheridan—the first Parliamentary Under Secretary at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
• Sets aside the title to focus instead on the impact of Euroscepticism and the need for a proactive British approach in Europe.

“What I am here to do is to talk about the profound and irremediable damage I believe that British Euroscepticism does to the British interest and to argue for a far more ambitious British approach within the European Union…”
—Chris Bryant [03:00]

2. Deconstructing British Euroscepticism

• Bryant counters common Eurosceptic arguments:
  • British uniqueness or sovereignty is not lost through EU membership.
  • Only a small portion of UK law is directly from EU law (~10% by his estimate).
  • Parliament and UK courts retain substantial power.
  • EU membership is both an economic and a political project.
  • Claims about Europe being the main determinant of UK law and costly to the UK are overstated.

“Britain is no less British by virtue of being a member of the European Union. Nor is France less French, or Italy rather less Italian.”
—Chris Bryant [05:50]

• He humorously debunks “urban myths” about the British Parliament and its traditions.

3. Euroscepticism vs. Reality: British Identity and Global Outlook

• Argues Euroscepticism is a form of “false patriotism” that weakens UK interests.
• Cites increasing European integration at the everyday level—travel, business, food, and work mobility.
• Emphasizes that the supposed divide between engaging Europe and other global relations (e.g., Commonwealth, the US) is a false dichotomy.

“We may sound Eurosceptic, but actually we've become steadily more European over the years… Our membership of the European Union, far from undermining [global ambition], I believe gives it free reign.”
—Chris Bryant [10:36]

4. The EU’s Role in a Changing Global Economy

• Outlines the EU’s trading leadership with BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China) and Mexico.
• Notes that the EU has failed to capitalize fully on its economic clout in emerging markets, often due to internal disunity.
• The need for “concerted action and discipline” among EU member states to amplify influence and avoid being played against each other by external powers.

“When it comes to exercising harder power around the world, the EU is only as strong as its most reluctant member... the EU not only struggles to be more than the sum of its whole, but can end up sometimes being less than the sum of its whole.”
—Chris Bryant [17:33]

• Cites energy dependency on Russia as a key area requiring unity and reform.
• Advocates for greater engagement and a less patronizing tone with rising economies.

5. Policy Proposals for the EU and the UK

Bryant outlines action points for EU strategy, including:

• Annual economic dialogues with major countries ([22:40])
• Combating protectionism and pursuing free trade agreements
• Reforming agricultural policy, especially in relation to Latin America
• Pressing for energy law reforms in Mexico and Brazil
• Ensuring robust engagement with global governance (e.g., G20)
• Supporting Turkey’s accession process only after reform benchmarks are reached

“Europe, I believe, will make one of the biggest mistakes imaginable if it does not ease the way to Turkey's accession in the Union…”
—Chris Bryant [25:08]

6. Memorable Anecdote: Patronizing Attitudes

• Bryant uses a theater anecdote—a man correcting his wife’s pronunciation of “patronizing”—to illustrate the EU’s sometimes condescending approach to emerging economies:

“… the woman said to the husband, ‘and the worst of it is that you are so bloody patronizing.’ And he turned to her and kissed her on the forehead as he said, ‘it's patronizing, dear.’ Now, I think that that style of attitude has all too often pervaded our approach to the emerging economies.”
—Chris Bryant [24:50]

7. Concluding Argument—The Prize of Unity

• Calls for greater imagination, discipline, and resolve within the EU.
• Portrays Euroscepticism as a hindrance to progress, not patriotism.

“…Euroscepticism is a false patriotism because it fails the political eye test. It fails to see that the British interest, our standard of living and our influence overseas is not undermined by our membership of the Union, but is enormously enhanced by it.”
—Chris Bryant [25:52]

Q&A Highlights

[26:13] Audience and Chair Q&A Session

A. Corruption and the CAP (Donald Davidson) [26:42]

• Query over waste and fraud in the EU, drawing on the handling of EU accounts and the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP).

“…if you don't have a common agricultural policy, you end up having a French agricultural policy, an Italian agricultural policy… that would be worse… I don't think…43% of its money [should be] spent on agriculture.”
—Chris Bryant [29:16]

B. Lisbon Treaty and Foreign Policy (Student) [27:49]

• Does Lisbon’s framework help the EU realize foreign policy ambitions?

“…the architecture of the EU is now much better than it was before the Lisbon Treaty, and that's one of the main reasons that we supported it.”
—Chris Bryant [32:34]

C. Joining the Euro? (Chair) [27:53]

• Will the government consider joining the Euro?

“…over the last 18 months, the fact that we have not been in the euro has meant that it's been possible for us to be competitive… So I don't predict that we will be putting a clause about the euro in our manifesto, except to say that if we were to suggest that we were going to join the euro at any point, we'd hold a referendum on it.”
—Chris Bryant [33:16]

D. Political Positives and Democratic Deficit [Unnamed audience; Sian Herbert]

• How to address the democratic deficit and complex EU structures?

“…the European Union is one of the most phenomenal achievements of human politics. It has bound together a continent which has warred so systematically with each other, not just in the last hundred years, but for centuries…”
—Chris Bryant [49:36]

E. Robustness Against Russia, China, Iran (Maurice Fraser) [34:33]

• Prospects for unified, tough policies?

“…the great advantage of the European Union is that when we do this as the Union, we carry much greater strength, much greater strength when we talk about human rights. So I'm in favour of robustness…”
—Chris Bryant [40:23]

F. Cyprus, Turkey, and Enlargement [42:02]

• Views on Cyprus conflict in context of Turkey’s accession; approach to Western Balkans.

“…at some point you are literally going to have to let go of history to be able to grab hold of the future… the solution has to come from the Cypriots…”
—Chris Bryant [44:41]

G. SWIFT Agreement and Parliamentary Scrutiny [Sian Herbert] [42:34]

• Concerns about Parliament’s role in new EU agreements post-Lisbon.

“…The Union is a complex beast… but I think that matters less than whether or not we have achieved peace across Europe, whether we are extending human rights across Europe, and whether we're extending prosperity across Europe.”
—Chris Bryant [49:23]

H. Common Foreign and Security Policy / ESDP (Tim Allen) [53:13]

• Is closer UK alignment with European defence inevitable?

“I can't imagine a situation in the future where British troops would be fighting on their own…So I think it's absolutely sensible and reasonable that we should work much more closely with our European allies.”
—Chris Bryant [54:10]

I. Enforcing EU Discipline (Irene Aronzo) [57:00]

• How can the EU foster discipline without qualified majority voting?

“…there's a real need for more leadership within the Union, in particular from France, Germany and the UK. And that’s why… we’ve been doing… joint articles… I think… quite often the rest of Europe now looks for leadership from some of the larger countries.”
—Chris Bryant [57:40]

J. UK Opt-Outs and Euroscepticism (Matthias) [59:47]

• Do UK opt-outs reinforce Euroscepticism?

“…It's a kind of chicken and egg. But one of the things I'm trying to say is…Travel doesn't always broaden mind, sometimes it narrows the mind. But…British people, in many, many different aspects, have become… far more European.”
—Chris Bryant [60:26]

Notable Quotes

• Chris Bryant:

  • "Ignorance, I would suggest, is no excuse in law or in politics, or for that matter, in foreign affairs." [08:50]
  • “The insular mentality that constantly refers back just to the old British Empire is completely and utterly mistaken.” [11:36]
  • "We need a whole Europe approach to the region and especially to the growing powers of Mexico and Brazil." [20:29]
  • “If we fail, Europe will languish and the UK with it. If we succeed...the EU and the UK [will] play a pivotal role in ensuring sustainable growth based on free and fair trade. It's a prize of ultimate worth.” [26:00]

• Damian Chalmers (on closing):

  • “I'd just like to thank Chris Bryant for a wonderfully entertaining, rich, thoughtful speech and something that I think you answered the questions directly and fully…” [61:28]

Timestamps: Key Segments

• [00:00] Introduction by Damian Chalmers
• [01:20] Chris Bryant begins address
• [03:00] Deconstructing Euroscepticism and urban myths
• [10:36] Britain’s global approach & EU membership
• [17:33] The EU’s structural weaknesses in global affairs
• [22:40] Policy proposals for EU engagement with emerging economies
• [25:08] Case for Turkey’s accession
• [26:13] Q&A begins
• [29:16] Response: CAP and EU corruption
• [32:34] Lisbon Treaty’s effect on foreign policy architecture
• [33:16] Will the UK join the Euro?
• [44:41] Reflections on Cyprus and Turkey
• [49:36] Democratic deficit and the "achievement" of the EU
• [54:10] UK and European defence future
• [57:40] Mechanisms for EU discipline and leadership
• [60:26] UK’s opt-outs and the real state of British Euroscepticism
• [61:28] Closing thanks

Closing Takeaways

This episode delivers an impassioned argument against British Euroscepticism and makes the case for an ambitious, united EU policy in a globalized world. Bryant emphasizes pragmatism, unity, and openness—rejecting nostalgia and false dichotomies in foreign policy. The Q&A demonstrates the diverse, complex views among students and experts, challenging Bryant on issues from internal democracy to enlargement and security. Throughout, Bryant’s tone is both light-hearted and assertively optimistic about the EU’s potential and the UK’s future within it.