At the end of the eighteenth century Napoleonic France drew Britain further into European politics than it had been, perhaps, since the hundred Years war. After the First World War it was natural that some Europeans should try to create a European union that would prevent a repetition of war. A few British people welcomed the idea. But when France proposed such an arrangement in 1930, one British spoke for the majority of the nation: ‘Our hearts are not in Europe.’ Since then Britain has found it difficult to move away from this point of view. After the second World War the value of European unity was a good deal clearer. In 1946 Churchill called for a ‘United States of Europe’, but it was already too late to prevent the division of Europe into two blocks. In 1949 Britain joined with other western European countries to form the council of Europe, ‘to achieve greater unity between members’, but it is doubtful how far this aim has been achieved. Indeed, eight years later in 1957, Britain refused to join the six other European countries in the creation of a European Common Market. Britain was unwilling to surrender any sovereignty or control over its own affairs, and it still felt responsibility towards its empire.
The real dismantling of the British empire took place in the twenty-five years following the Second World War and with the loss of empire went a loss of power and status. The good relations between Britain and the newly independent countries were established. As a result, the Commonwealth, composed of the countries that used to be part of the empire, has continued to hold annual meetings.
When the European Coal and Steel Community was formed in 1951, Britain thought it was an excellent idea, but nothing to do with Britain! As the empire disappeared, and the role of ‘the world’s policeman’ was taken over by the USA, the British government decided to ask for membership of the newly-formed European Community. First tired it in 1963 and again in 1967, the French President General de Gaulle refused to allow it. De Gaulle believed that Britain could not make up its mind whether its first loyalty, was to Europe or to the Untied States. Britain only became a member in 1973, after de Gaulle’s retirement. From the very start, the British attitude to membership has been ambiguous. On the one had, it is seen as an economic necessity and a political advantage. Britain realised that it had lost political power internationally, and because of a growing desire to play a greater part in European politics.
Although trade with Europe greatly increased, most British continued to feel that they had not had any economic benefit from Europe. Changes in European domestic policy, social policy or sovereignty arrangements tend to be seen in Britain as a threat. This feeling was strengthened by the way in which Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher argued for a better financial deal for Britain in the community’s affairs. She welcomed closer co-operation in the European Community but only if this did not mean any lessening of sovereignty. Under Thatcher, British foreign policy was more closely linked to that of the Untied States, particularly with regard to the Soviet Union.
Compared with its European neighbours, however, Britain was certainly doing less well. In 1964 only West Germany of the six European community countries produced more per head of population than Britain. Thirteen years later, however, in 1977, only Italy produced less. Britain eventually joined the EC hoping that it would be able to share the new European wealth. By 1987 this had not yet happened, and Britain has continued to slip behind most other European countries.
Throughout the 1980s and 1990s it has been Britain which has slowed down progress towards further European unity. This can be explained by the fact that views about Britain’s position in Europe cut across political party lines. There are people both for and against closer ties with Europe in both the main parties. As a result, ‘Europe’ has not been promoted as a subject for debate to the electorate. Even serious, so-called ‘quality’ British newspapers can sometimes get rather hysterical about the power of Brussels.
In 1990 John Major was elected as PM, he had a very successful European policy and adopted a more compromising attitude. The 1991 Maastricht treaty had a great influence over the shaping of Europe. The treaty became an important symbol of Britain’s restricted independence in the world. In 1996-97 the ‘Mad cow disease’ appeared, which meant a ban on British beef exports. Major vetoed EU decisions to obstruct policy making and some conservatives again considered that Britain might leave EU. The New Labour is accepting the social Charter, in principle they support the single currency, but will join EMU only if the economic benefits for Britain are clear.
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