Member-only story
Could the UK pass the Copenhagen criteria?
As Labour turns a corner and begins to address if it should seek to lead the country into a closer relationship with the European Union, I found a thread on bluesky which questions if the UK is sufficiently democratic, and ready to adopt the complete acquis. I thought I’d reply, and this is what I say!
On Democracy
Is the UK sufficiently democratic to join the EU. The two key organisations that measure ‘democraciness’ both argue that the UK is a democracy. Its score in the EIU Index in 2024, is 8.34/10.00, its 11th out of 20 in Western Europe, and above France, Italy, Spain and three other countries. France and Italy it considers “Flawed democracies”.
I have some difficulty with the EIU methodology, as while its open and accessible, I find it hard to replicate and coming from the Economist scores defences of liberal economics highly vs the pursuit of social rights. I looked at this in 2018, or on my blog, where I categorised the Economist’s weaknesses in the UK’s democracy. Amnesty International says that the UK’s treatment of refugees and asylum seekers is inadequate and that it fails to comply with its international obligations, including to ensure the rights to food, housing and adequate social security.
One issue raised in the thread is that the UK does not honour its devolution…
