Consulting and compromising: the (non-)religious policy preferences of British MEPs

Abstract

The UK provides an important case study when analysing the influence of religious attitudes and values on political behaviour in the European Union. Our research shows British members of the European Parliament (MEPs) to be relatively at ease working with the different faith-based organisations (FBOs) which seek to influence the European policy process – and much more so than many of their colleagues from other member-states. This can potentially be explained by the more ‘pluralist’ political culture which is prevalent in the UK, and can also be related to the comparatively high rates of non-church attendance among the British sample which facilitates their even-handedness towards different groups. This, in turn, produces a resistance to allowing religious factors to disproportionately influence European policymaking.

Keywords:

• European Union
• political parties
• interest groups
• United Kingdom
• public policy

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Martin Steven

Martin Steven is lecturer in politics in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASS) at Lancaster University, UK. His research interests centre around comparative British and European government, with a focus on the role of political parties and interest groups in public policy. Two of his recent publications are (with T. Lundberg, 2013) ‘Framing electoral reform in the 2011 UK Alternative Vote referendum campaign’, Australian Journal of Political Science, 48 (1) and (with L. Baston and O. Gareth, 2012) ‘The Conservative Party and devolved national identities: Scotland and Wales compared’, National Identities, 14 (1).