Schöpflin lived in the UK from 1950 to 2004, gaining his secondary education certificate in Scotland, followed by an MA in 1960 and an LLB in 1962 at the University of Glasgow, and a Certificate of Advanced European Studies from the College of Europe, Bruges, in 1963.

[3] He then worked at the Royal Institute of International Affairs in London from 1963–67, followed by a spell at the BBC until 1976.

[3] He then returned to academia at the London School of Economics becoming a Lecturer in Eastern Europe and then jointly ran the famous seminar in communist politics and society.

He was re-elected to the European Parliament in 2009 and 2014, and served as a full member on the Foreign Affairs Committee (AFET) and as a full member of the Committee on Constitutional Affairs (AFCO) 2014–2019, during which time he was EPP coordinator.

In October 2013, he was awarded a doctorate honoris causa by Corvinus University, Budapest.