“Bill Newton Dunn almost certainly has more experience of the European Parliament than any other British politician. His book is an intelligent and thoughtful account of our country’s relationship with the rest of Europe.”
——Chris Patten

★Memoir by Europe’s longest-serving MEP, witnessing Britain’s full journey from EU accession to Brexit over 41 years.
★The author contested 9 elections and won 7 times, revealing the behind-the-scenes games and political upheavals of the European Parliament from a first-person perspective.
★Combining political depth and personal warmth, its witty and candid tone makes the complex UK-EU relationship accessible.

From the hopeful beginnings of Britain’s entry into the European project to the bitterness of Brexit, Continental Drift is a vivid, personal account of a political life spent at the heart of the European Parliament.

As Europe’s longest-serving MEP, Bill Newton-Dunn offers a front-row view of the shifting tides in Britain’s often uneasy relationship with its continental neighbours. Spanning the four decades from 1979 to 2020, this lively memoir chronicles the currents of Euroscepticism, internal wranglings of UK delegations and the complex dance between Westminster and Brussels.

But Continental Drift is more than political history: it is also rich with behind-the-scenes stories, sharp observations and colourful pen portraits of the characters who shaped Europe, from British premiers and fiery backbenchers to European visionaries and bureaucratic bruisers, not to mention impassioned Communists and rumoured Mafiosi. With dry wit and unsparing honesty, Newton-Dunn brings to life the dramas, debates and diplomatic showdowns that marked a turbulent era.

Candid, compelling and frequently funny, Continental Drift is a timely reflection on Britain’s place in Europe – and what was lost when the flag came down.

Bill Newton Dunn
Born in 1941, Bill Newton Dunn is the son of professional soldier. Following an MA in natural science, he worked in industry and earned an MBA before entering politics.

Elected as Conservative MEP for Lincolnshire to the first European Parliament in 1979, he contested every election until Brexit in 2020, winning seven times out of nine, making him the longest-serving MEP in Europe. In 2000, he crossed the floor to the Liberal Democrats. From 2009, he represented the six counties in the East Midlands.

He has been married to Anna for fifty years and they have two children and four grandchildren.