UK in a Changing Europe
{{Short description|British foreign policy think tank initiative}}
{{COI|date=May 2020}}
{{EngvarB|date=November 2017}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2017}}
{{Infobox organization
|name = UK in a Changing Europe
|image =
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|leader_title = Director
|leader_name = Professor Anand Menon
|website ={{url|ukandeu.ac.uk/}}
}}
The UK in a Changing Europe is an initiative intended to improve access to research on the relationship between the UK and the European Union (EU).{{cite web|url=http://ukandeu.ac.uk/about-us|title=About us|access-date=10 July 2015}} It is funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), and is based at King's College London.
Description
UK in a Changing Europe is an independent research organisation created to communicate academic research on the UK's relationship with the European Union.{{Cite web|url=https://ukandeu.ac.uk/about-us/|title=About us|website=UK in a changing Europe}} The initiative is funded by the Economic and Social Science Research Council, which is part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI).
UK in a Changing Europe is led by Director Anand Menon, Professor of European Politics and Foreign Affairs at King's College London.{{Cite web|url=https://www.kcl.ac.uk/people/anand-menon|title=Professor Anand Menon|website=www.kcl.ac.uk}} Its deputy directors are Professors Catherine Barnard and Paula Surridge, and the senior research fellow is Jill Rutter.
The organisation consists of nine senior fellows from across the UK, appointed in June 2019 to support the initiative.{{Cite web|url=https://ukandeu.ac.uk/the-uk-in-a-changing-europe-receives-extended-finding-and-nine-senior-fellows-join-the-organisation/|title=The UK in a Changing Europe receives extended funding and nine senior fellows join the organisation|date=19 June 2019|website=UK in a changing Europe}} These include:
- Professor David Bailey
- Dr Meredith Crowley
- Professor John Curtice
- Professor Sarah Hall
- Professor Katy Hayward
- Professor Hussein Kassim
- Professor Nicola McEwen, co-director of the Centre on Constitutional Change.{{Cite web|title=Nicola McEwen|url=https://www.centreonconstitutionalchange.ac.uk/people/nicola-mcewen|access-date=2021-06-24|website=Centre on Constitutional Change|language=en}}
- Professor Jonathan Portes
- Professor Meg Russell
The primary objective is to disseminate academic research in an accessible format to inform public and political debates on the UK's place in the EU. The first round of fellows concluded in January 2015.{{cite web|title=ESRC UK in a Changing Europe Senior Fellowships call|url=http://www.esrc.ac.uk/funding-and-guidance/funding-opportunities/33156/esrc-uk-in-a-changing-europe-senior-fellowships-call.aspx|access-date=10 July 2015}} Funded academics are expected to work on projects to make their work accessible to the public, through activities such as blog posts and public events.{{cite web|title=UK in a Changing Europe - commissioning fund|url=http://www.esrc.ac.uk/funding/funding-opportunities/uk-in-a-changing-europe-commissioning-fund/|access-date=23 April 2016|website=Economic and Social Research Council}}
At the 2017 Think Tank of the Year Awards, The UK in a Changing Europe won the "one to watch" category, in 2018 it won the "best UK international think tank category",{{Cite web|url=https://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/other/think-tank-awards-2018-the-winners"Prospect|title=Magazine 2018 Winners"}} and in 2019 it won the "foreign affairs" category.{{Cite web|url=https://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/politics/think-tank-awards-2019-the-winners"Prospect|title=Magazine 2019 Winners"}}
The initiative hosts regular events, open to the public, on a range of policy issues relating to UK-EU relations, including on Brexit and Trade, Brexit and Parliament, Brexit and the Island of Ireland, Brexit and the Media, Brexit and the Constitution, Brexit and Public Opinion. The initiative also hosts an annual conference.
Research
In April 2016, the group published a report (in collaboration with Full Fact) titled "Leave/Remain: The Facts behind the claims" which fact-checked 24 claims made by both campaigns.
During both the 2017 and 2019 general election campaigns the initiative published reports, analysing the competing claims and promises made on Brexit in each of the main party's manifestos – covering areas from citizens’ rights and immigration, through to defence and foreign policy.[https://ukandeu.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Red-Yellow-and-Blue-Brexit-The-Manifestos-Uncovered.pdf]"Red Yellow and Blue Brexit: The Manifestos Uncovered"
European Union membership referendum
The group has made several contributions to the debate over the UK's membership of the European Union. Members have written 'explainers' covering topics such as security, media coverage, and migration.{{cite web|last1=Greenslade|first1=Roy|title=Websites sort the facts from the fiction for EU referendum voters|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/greenslade/2016/mar/09/websites-sort-the-facts-from-the-fiction-for-eu-referendum-voters|website=The Guardian|access-date=23 April 2016|date=9 March 2016}} They funded the report 'The EU Referendum and UK environment' released in April 2016.{{cite web|last1=Harvey|first1=Fiona|title=Report highlights environmental dangers of leaving EU|url=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/apr/11/report-highlights-environmental-dangers-of-leaving-eu|website=The Guardian|access-date=23 April 2016|date=11 April 2016}} They have also collaborated with ITV News and Full Fact on a series of reports,{{cite web|title=Finding the facts: ITV News series on the EU referendum|url=http://www.itv.com/news/2016-04-16/finding-the-facts-itv-news-series-on-the-eu-referendum/|website=ITV News|access-date=23 April 2016|date=16 April 2016}} and with the BBC's The World at One on short explainers.{{cite web|title=World at One: Clips|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b07753hj/clips|website=BBC Radio 4, World at One|access-date=23 April 2016|date=18 April 2016}} On 25 April 2016 they published a report (in collaboration with Full Fact) entitled 'Leave/Remain: the facts behind the claims' which checked 24 claims made by both campaigns and found both sides had made 'misleading' or 'unfounded' claims.{{cite news|last1=Wright|first1=Oliver|title=EU referendum: The verdict on both sides of the campaign-you can't believe either of them|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/eu-referendum-the-verdict-on-both-sides-of-the-campaign-you-can-t-believe-either-of-them-a6999166.html|access-date=27 April 2016|work=The Independent|date=25 April 2016}}
What UK thinks, a collaborative project run by NatCen Social Research, publishes a 'poll of polls' which has been used by several media outlets.{{cite web|last1=Allen|first1=Kate|title='Fewer and better polls please' says inquiry into 2015 election polling disaster|url=http://blogs.ft.com/ftdata/2016/03/31/fewer-and-better-polls-please-says-inquiry-into-2015-election-polling-disaster/|website=FT Data blog|publisher=The Financial Times Ltd.|access-date=23 April 2016|date=31 March 2016}}{{cite web|last1=Kirk|first1=Ashley|last2=Wilkinson|first2=Michael|title=EU referendum poll tracker and odds|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/03/23/eu-referendum-poll-tracker-and-odds/|website=The Telegraph News|access-date=23 April 2016|date=19 April 2016}}{{cite web|last1=Gripper|first1=Anne|title=EU referendum poll tracker: Is Britain heading for Brexit and what does the UK think of Europe?|url=https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/eu-referendum-poll-tracker-britain-7699714|website=Mirror Online|publisher=MGN Limited|access-date=23 April 2016|date=8 April 2016}}{{cite web|last1=Worrel|first1=Patrick|title=FactCheck: how Britain is split on the EU|url=http://blogs.channel4.com/factcheck/factcheck-britain-split-eu/22312|website=Channel 4 Fact Check|publisher=Channel Four Television Corporation|access-date=23 April 2016|date=19 February 2016}}
References
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