ABSTRACT
The formation of a Coalition government in May 2010 brought together two parties, Conservatives and Liberal Democrats, with seemingly very different positions on Europe. The damaging splits in the party of the Major era appeared to have been resolved in favour of the Eurosceptics. The decision not to pursue a referendum on the Lisbon Treaty was crucial in this respect, as it denied an opportunity for Eurosceptics to mobilise and once again put Europe centre stage. The populist campaign for a referendum was successful in uniting MPs with different positions on Europe. A hard Eurosceptic campaign for a referendum found support in the British press. By 2012 a hard Eurosceptic movement that cut across party lines was increasingly shaping the agenda on Europe. A consistent solution to the dilemmas of Eurosceptic Britain for governing elites has been the possibility of British leadership in Europe.
