Trails of the Great War 1914 - 2014: Forever at War with Europe – Politics and Memory

Speakers: Lord Glasman, Donald Sassoon, The Rt Hon. Douglas Alexander MP
Chair: Dr John F Jungclaussen

Recorded on 3 October 2014 in Shaw Library, Old Building.

For Britain, 2014 is as much about remembering the past as it is about deciding her future. Then as now the vexed question is what to do with Europe. Thus far, rational arguments for or against continued membership of the EU have failed to make a real impact. The public debate about Britain’s role in Europe remains emotionally charged. It begs the question to what extend it is informed by the visceral memory of the War. Politics needs memory but at what point is history getting in the way of sensible political decisions? Is Britain’s ongoing identity debate a symptom of a national crisis or prove that she is more ready to adapt to a changing world than other countries?

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