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The Common Market and the Growing Strength of Labour’s Left Wing

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 March 2014

Raphaella Bilski
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Extract

FROM 1967 UNTIL THE REFERENDUM, THE DEBATE ON THE COMMON Market in Britain produced a vast amount of literature devoted to the economic, political and social ramifications of joining. The main economic issues debated were the cost of entry and its effect on Britain's balance of payments, prices and the standard of living. The other problems centred around the tax system, including VAT, the flow of capital, unemployment, technological development, the value of the pound, the Community's agricultural policy, its regional policy, the volume of exports and labour mobility. In the social field the main concern was the standard of the social services, especially the National Health Service. In the political field debate centred around the undemocratic and bureaucratic nature of the EEC decision-making system; Britain's sovereignty, especially as regards the ability of Parliament to pursue independent economic, social and foreign policies; the connections between Britain and the Cornmon wealth, EFTA, the USA, Eastern Europe and developing countries. In addition the Treaty of Rome itself and the ideological, social and political nature of the Communities were debated.

Type
Original Article
Information
Government and Opposition , Volume 12 , Issue 3 , 01 July 1977 , pp. 306 - 331
Copyright
Copyright © Government and Opposition Ltd 1977

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References

1 See for example Beer, S. H., Modern British Politics, London, 1965. pp. 109–125;Google Scholar Crick, B., ‘Socialist Literature in the 1950s’, The Political Quarterly, 07-09. 1960, p. 370;Google Scholar McKenzie, R., British Political Parties, London, 1955, pp. 424–570;Google Scholar Miliband, R., Parliamentary Socialism, London, 1961, pp. 13–17;Google Scholar Rose, R. ‘Parties, Factions and Tendencies in Britain’, in Rose, R. (ed.), Studies in British Politics, London, 1967.Google Scholar

2 Harrison, M., Harrison, London and Detroit, 1960, pp. 238–239;Google ScholarPubMed Janosick, E., Constituency Labour Parties in Britain, London, 1968, pp. 27–58;Google Scholar R. Miliband, op. cit., p. 320; Rose, R. ‘Political Ideas of English Party Activists’, in Rose, R. (ed.), Studies in British Politics.Google Scholar

3 Written answers: H. C. Deb 5 July cols. 170, 171.

4 The interviews took place in September 1973. Similar arguments were put forward by Tom McNally and Terry Pitt who were interviewed in August 1973. During that period I also interviewed S. Williams and P. Rose.

5 1967 Labour Annual Conference Report, London, 1967, pp. 274–278.

6 Op. cit., pp. 269–272, 276–279; see also Jay, D. and Jenkins, R., The Common Market Debate, Fabian International, London, 1962, pp. 1–8.Google Scholar

7 ‘Labour and the Common Market’, Appendix 3, pp. 329–332 in the 1967 Labour Annual Conference Report, op. cit.; see also, Membership of European Communities, HMSO, reprinted London, 1971, The United Kingdom and the European Communities, reprinted, London, 1970.

8 See for example Beever, R. C., Trade Unions and Free Labour Movement in the EEC, European Series no. 10, London, 1969.Google Scholar

9 See for example, Jay, D., After the Common Market, Penguin, London, 1968; Europe – What Next, Fabian tracts 389, London, 1969.Google Scholar

10 1969 Labour Annual Conference Report, p. 309.

11 In the interviews, R. Crossman, I. Mikardo, S. Williams, P. Rose, T. McNally and T. Pitt, stressed these points.

12 1970 Labour Annual Conference Report, p. 188.

13 T. Bradly, The Case in Favour, London, 1971.

14 Callaghan, J., On the Common Market, Labour Committee for Safeguards on the Common Market, London, 1971.Google Scholar

15 Labour and the Common Market, Report of a Special Conference of the Labour Party, London, 1971, p. 3.

16 Ibid., p. 44.

17 Ibid., pp. 48–49.

18 The United Kingdom and the European Communities, the NEC reply to the White Paper, London, 1971, p. 1.

19 Op. cit., p. 21.

20 See, for example, R. Jenkins, What Matters Now, Collins/Fontana, Surrey, 1972.

21 1971 Labour Annual Conference Report, London, 1971, p. 120.

22 Op. cit., p. 116.

23 Op. cit., p. 139.

24 Op. cit., p. 141.

25 1972 Labour Annual Conference Report, Appendix 7. ‘Statement on the Common Market’, London, 1972, p. 383.

26 Very much in the lines of Crossman, R. H., ‘Socialist Values in a Changing Civilization’, Fabian Tracts No. 286, London, 1950.Google Scholar

27 Barratt Brown, M., From Labourism to Socialism: The Political Economy of Labour in the 1970s. Spokesman Books, Nottingham, 1972.Google Scholar

28 Aitken, J. ‘Wilson rides high on the takeover tide’, in Labour 1973, London, 1973, p. 12.Google Scholar

29 Op. cit.

30 1973 Labour Annual Conference Report, London, 1973, p. 283.

31 Op. cit., p. 293.

32 P. Shore, Europe – The Way Back, London, 1973.