Abstract
The article is based on a core assumption that talking about the relationship between the UK and the EU does not merely describe a given (or envisioned) reality; it also constructs it. As such, it identifies, classifies and examines prevailing discourses used by the former British Prime Minister, David Cameron, in his speeches from 2010 to 2016, to construct the UK–EU bilateral relationship. Based on a detailed analysis of 60 official speeches, three distinct sub-discourses are identified: (1) integration; (2) differentiation and (3) reform. The article shows that Cameron’s discursive identities and rhetorical positions vis-a-vis the UK–EU relationship differed widely in their assessment of mutual ties/interactions and displayed profound incompatibilities. These largely competing discourses and rival imaginings on the UK–EU bilateral relationship help explain the high degree of ambivalence, paradox and misunderstanding associated with Cameron’s EU policy.
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