
If I have some memories of Britain entering the EEC, I have very strong memories of the 1975 referendum. Arguably, the reason we are having an EU referendum now has far more to do with the internal politics of the Conservative party than the issue itself (something I will go on to argue anon). Certainly, the reasons for the 1975 referendum had almost everything to do with the internal politics of Labour.
In short, Labour were split three ways over Europe. There was a strongly pro-EEC minority, most associated with Roy Jenkins. In the other camp, were those for whom entry to the EEC was anathema. Then, there were those who were either undecided, ambivalent or for whom it was primarily a matter of political manoeuvre (probably, one of those was Harold Wilson).
Several strands of Labour politics did not sit easy with the EEC. One was the romantic patriotism…
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