Europe: Them or Us, BBC2: Nick Robinson looks at Brexit through Britain’s history in the EU

This two-part documentary tells the story of how the EU initially came about

Crossroads: Nick Robinson presents a look at the EU and what the referendum means

BBC/Steve Brown

Ben Travis12 April 2016

As the months of 2016 roll onwards, the nation is faced with a significant choice – to leave or remain in the EU.

The prospect of ‘Brexit’ (Britain exiting the EU) has got everyone talking, but for many the pros and cons of the Leave and Remain camps are a mystery.

Shedding some light on the discussion is the BBC’s Nick Robinson, whose two-part documentary delves back into the UK’s history in the EU.

Whatever the future holds, it’s all speculation, he argues – but the past is there for us to observe in a factual way.

That means a history trip into the creation of the European Union, from Winston Churchill’s significant role to the initial reluctance of the French to get involved.

While Churchill was instrumental in bringing the EU together, talking up the idea of a United States of Europe even before the arrival of World War II, it still remains a source of contention as to what he meant: a union in which Britain took the lead, or was just an element.