An Analysis On The British Labour Government's Policy Towards The European Integration(1945-1979)

The Second World War did the fatal damage to the Europe and made the European feel combination certainly necessary and urgent. The European countries have different traditions and political realities, so facing the way of the united Europe adopted different position. British Labour Party's policy had experienced a process to change. During the period of 1945-1979 , the Labour government's attitude towards the European Integration was changing: from being a spectator of the Schuman Plan in 1951 to taking an attempt to join the European Economic Community (EEC) in the 1960's, then having the conflict with the EEC as the membership in the 1970's. This paper examines the British Labour government's policy towards the European Integration from 1945 to 1979 and takes an analysis on the factors which affected the Labour government. There are four parts in the paper.In the first part, I point out that the European countries had reached consensus on the united Europe, but United Kingdom was different from the Continent countries in the historical traditions and political realties which would made the different solutions on the way of the integration. The British resolutely advocated intergovernmental co-operation rather than the institution of supranational structures with powers beyond governments. Because Labor Party was unable to accept the integrated plan for the sake of the national interests and the Labor Party own position .So the Labour government adopted the attitude not getting involved in the integration at all right away.In the second part, after the development for the period of 1950's, Britain's influence on the world affairs declined, while the integration has developed rapidly as a united body and within the tendency of further supranationalism slowed down, and the connection between Britain and the EEC was more and more rapid and intense. Britain felt that it would gain more benefit to join the EEC rather than being aside of that. So the Labour government changing the policy towards the European Integration made the second application for membership of the EEC after the Conservative Party's application in 1961. Although de Gaulle vetoed the second application, the British government felt that there were no alternatives but to be the membership of the community. Meanwhile the argument about the European Integration within the Labour Party also was rising gradually.The third part explains that under the Conservative government Britain entering the EEC, while the different opinions within the Labor Party came out. The Left wing of the Labour opposed the membership determinedly, and the leader of the Labour Party attacked the terms which Heath's obtained and not the principle of membership which was benefit for the British interests .When Labor Party being in power decided to renegotiate the terms of entry with the EEC, and hold a referendum in order to avoid the division of the party. Before the referendum, the Labour government's position for"yes"vote on the membership of the community carried great weight over the public. The majority votes for"yes"made Britain stay in the Community as a result of overcoming a crisis for the Labour government. And then Britain also started to strive for benefits in the Community as a membership.The forth part is to analyze the factors which affected the Labor government's policy towards the European Integration. The factors include the Britain's historical traditions, the facts of the Labour Party and the judgment on the national interests by the Labour government. The political party being in power all makes the choice based on the historical tradition and the realistic condition of their own country, therefore the Labor Party and the Conservative Party made the same decision turn to the EEC. Yet the Labour Party's organizational structure quite was complex, and the struggle of its internal theoretical and the capture of the leadership mixed together. All of them became the important factors which affected the Labor Party's policy towards the Europe Integration. As a result of the internal struggle, the Left Wing became more and more powerful which threatened the continuity and the stability of the policy towards the Europe Integration, also greatly weakened the influence and the efficiency of the Labor Party. In these factors the judgment on the national interests by the Labor government is the key factor. The Labor Party being in power, naturally takes the national interests into the consideration of the political reality; out of office also takes the national interest as the attack to the Conservative government's policy in the name of maintaining the national interests which the party in power not being able to defend.In the conclusion, I point out that the Labor Party never showed the enthusiasm to the Europe Integration because of the Labour Party's internal factors and the British historical traditions. The fact of that the Labor Party changed the attitude towards the Europe was the passive choice under the situation made the process of transformation slow and infirm. At the same time, the argument to the Europe Integration has risen high unceasingly which became one of the reasons has led to the Labour Party's division in the 1980's ultimately. Then anti-Europeans had taken the leadership in the Labour Party which made the people feel the party too weak to run the country. The result also prevented the Labour Party from being in power for a long time. Being out of office for a long time made the Labour Party realized that staying in the community could gain more than outside of it; therefore the Labor Party had to modify the policy, and then it possible to keep up with the times. Experienced the reform after the 80's, Labor Party was in power again finally in 90's; the attitude towards the European Integration has been modified more co-operatively.