Taking Control argues that neither side in the Brexit debate really understood the European Union or what was involved in reclaiming Britain's sovereignty. The EU is neither a supranational nanny state, nor an internationalist peace project. It is the means by which Europe's elites transformed their own states in order to rule the void where representative politics used to be. Leaving the EU is a necessary but not sufficient step towards closing the chasm between rulers and ruled. This book makes the democratic case for national sovereignty, arguing for a radical, forward-looking reconstitution of the British nation-state through strengthening representative democracy. It is essential for anyone who wonders why British politics is so dysfunctional and who wants to do better.

Philip Cunliffe is Associate Professor in International Relations at University College London. George Hoare is an independent researcher and co-host of the Bungacast podcast. Lee Jones is Professor of Political Economy and International Relations at Queen Mary University of London. Peter Ramsay is Professor of Law at the London School of Economics. The authors write about politics at thenorthernstar.online.