Skip to main content

The Limits of the City’s Structural Power: The City’s Offshore Interests and the Brexit Referendum

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Diverging Capitalisms

Abstract

Given the apparent structural power of the City of London and Britain’s finance-led growth model, the decision by David Cameron to hold a referendum on Britain’s membership of the European Union (EU) appears paradoxical when the dominant firms in the City have a long-standing interest in participating in the European Single Market. This paradox can be explained by the historical relationship of the City to the British state in terms of the offshore currency interests of the City and the particular problems created for the Cameron governments in defending the City by the politicisation by the Eurozone crisis of the City’s status as the offshore financial centre of the euro.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 64.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Hardcover Book
USD 84.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Helen Thompson .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2019 The Author(s)

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Thompson, H. (2019). The Limits of the City’s Structural Power: The City’s Offshore Interests and the Brexit Referendum. In: Hay, C., Bailey, D. (eds) Diverging Capitalisms. Building a Sustainable Political Economy: SPERI Research & Policy. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-03415-3_4

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics