Originally published 3 March 2003

European Question Time - Thursday 20 Feb 2003

The University of Warwick hosted a European Question Time event, as part of the European Parliament Office campaign to raise awareness of European issues. The Vice Chancellor, Professor David Vandelinde, chaired a lively panel, consisting of three Members of the European Parliament (MEP) representing the Midlands - Philip Bushill-Matthews (Conservative), Michael Cashman (Labour) and Nick Clegg (Liberal Democrat).

An audience of nearly 100, comprised of University students, staff, and members of the local community, showed interest in key issues. Obviously, British policy on Iraq was at the top of the agenda, with the panel exploring whether Blair's alliance with the US would damage UK-EU relations. This led the panel into a broader discussion of the merits of having an EU policy on security issues.

Other questions to the panel included:

• whether the UK would opt-in to the Euro, the merits of the Common Agricultural Policy,
• EU trade relations and the WTO,
• and the quality of media coverage on European issues

Sadly, time ran out, with many other questions from the audience still to be put to the panel, so debate spilt over to the wine reception!

The event was so successful that there has been talk of making in at annual event at the University.

The event was organised by Dr Philippa Sherrington, p.sherrington@warwick.ac.uk, a Lecturer in the Politics of European Integration.

Dr Sherrington studied at Thames Valley University for a BA (Hons.) in Modern European Studies and the University of Manchester for an MA (Econ.) in European Politics and Policy. She then completed a PhD in European Integration at the University of Central Lancashire. She was a lecturer in European Integration at the Queen’s University of Belfast before arriving at Warwick in 1999. She has a Postgraduate Certificate in Higher Education Teaching from the Queen’s University Belfast, and is an accredited member of the Institute For Learning and Teaching. Her research interests include the Council Presidency of the EU, Think Tank activity in the European Union, EU Institutional Adaptation and the UK and the European Union.

For more information on studying in the Department of Politics and International Studies see http://www.warwick.ac.uk/PAIS/