German Historical Institute London

17 Bloomsbury Square
London WC1A 2NJ
United Kingdom

Phone: Tel. +44-(0)20-7309 2050

URI: www.ghil.ac.uk

 

David Lawton

Modern History

+44 020 7309 2029 d.lawton@ghil.ac.uk
 
 

David Lawton joined the GHIL in April 2021 as a PhD researcher. He is working on the BMBF-funded project ‘Euroscepticism in Britain from the 1970s to the 1990s’.

Research Project

Euroscepticism in Britain from the 1970s to the 1990s

Image of a classic red Routemaster London double-decker bus

My project focusses on the emergence of a network of Eurosceptic individuals working in broadcasting, journalism, literature, and in the legal profession from the 1970s to the 2000s. By exploring this rhizome of like-minded people, I want to shed light upon the growth of ‘Euroscepticism’ outside of Westminster politics and explore the ways in which individuals came together at critical junctures to protest and prophesise about future European integration. My aim is to connect sceptical visions of a ‘European’ future to the broad network of cultural influencers who helped produce them, thus exploring the relationship between politics, culture, and the institutions through which they were mediated to wider publics in Britain.

Responsibilities at the GHIL

  • Student PhD Researcher

Research Interests

  • 20th Century British History
  • Euroscepticism
  • Heritage & Popular Culture

Education and Academic Background

2021– PhD Researcher, German Historical Institute London
2021– PhD in History, Queen Mary, University of London
2019–2020 MA in History, University College London
2014–2017 BA in History, St. Hilda’s College, University of Oxford
   

Fellowships, Grants, and Scholarships

2021– BMBF-funded PhD studentship: ‘Euroscepticism in Britain from the 1970s to the 1990s’
   

Honours and Distinctions

2020 MA dissertation prize for the highest mark in the cohort of MA programme at UCL
2017 Jane Willis Kirkaldy Prize for best undergraduate thesis in the history of Science, Medicine, and Technology at the University of Oxford
   
 
 

Publications

 
 

Reviews and Miscellaneous Publications

Blog posts

‘The Maastricht Judicial Review: Core Legal Documents’, (De-)Construction Europe Blog, 30 June 2022 (Read here)

Podcasts

‘History Special: Auf Wiedersehen Pet’, The TV That Changed Me Podcast, 23 December 2021 (Listen here)