dc.contributor.author | Parr, Helen | |
dc.date.accessioned | 2017-11-20T13:37:00Z | |
dc.date.available | 2017-11-20T13:37:00Z | |
dc.date.issued | 2002 | |
dc.date.submitted | 2017-11-20T12:29:29.454Z | |
dc.identifier.citation | Parr, H. 2002. HAROLD WILSON, WHITEHALL AND BRITISH POLICY TOWARDS THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITY, 1964-1967. Queen Mary University of London | en_US |
dc.identifier.uri | http://qmro.qmul.ac.uk/xmlui/handle/123456789/28815 | |
dc.description | PhD | en_US |
dc.description.abstract | Britain's second attempt to seek membership of the European Economic
Community (EEC) in 1967 has widely been regarded as inevitable. This thesis
traces the development of Britain's policy towards the EEC from the accession
of the Labour Government in 1964 to the failure of the application for
membership in December 1967. Drawing primarily on official British records,
it takes as its premise that policy decisions must be reconstructed as they
appeared to participants at the time. It therefore places as central the roles and
attitudes of key ministers and officials. It seeks to elucidate three main
historical themes. First, by assessing the detailed progress of policy, it
examines Harold Wilson's own ambiguous attitude towards European
membership. Second, it considers how the British approached the Community,
analysing Cabinet's acceptance of the policy as well as the conduct of
Britain's diplomacy towards the members of the Six. Third, it places Britain's
turn to Europe within the context of wider decisions about Britain's foreign
and economic policies. It shows that Wilson's policy towards membership of
the EEC developed only gradually and under duress, as he initially hoped to
create a free trade area in Europe. Wilson did agree to study the implications
of membership early in 1966, yet the decisive turning point was the July 1966
sterling crisis. It offers a new interpretation of Britain's approach to the
Community, arguing that Wilson's attitude towards the tems of entry
emerged only gradually. Britain's diplomacy with the Six foundered on
Britain's economic weakness and the ability of General de Gaulle to
manipulate his European partners. Although this was a period of considerable
transformation in Britain's global orientation, British policy did not represent
a decisive break with the past. Decisions were taken reluctantly and
piecemeal, in response to economic crisis. | en_US |
dc.description.sponsorship | British Federation of Women Graduates Charitable Foundation
Queen Mary History Department Stretton Fund | |
dc.language.iso | en | en_US |
dc.publisher | Queen Mary University of London | |
dc.subject | Economics | en_US |
dc.title | HAROLD WILSON, WHITEHALL AND BRITISH POLICY TOWARDS THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITY, 1964-1967 | en_US |
dc.type | Thesis | en_US |
dc.rights.holder | The copyright of this thesis rests with the author and no quotation from it or information derived from it may be published without the prior written consent of the author | |