The First Referendum

In 1975 the UK voted 'yes', by 67%, to the European Community (EC). Since 1 January 1973, when the UK first joined, Edward Heath and Harold Wilson sought a fundamental transformation of the UK's relationship with the EC in terms of membership and public opinion. Despite the majority in favour of membership, the transformation was never achieved. -- .

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Although the United Kingdom’s entry to the European Community (EC) in 1973 was initially celebrated, by the end of the first year the mood in the UK had changed from ‘hope to uncertainty’. When Edward Heath lost the 1974 General Election, Harold Wilson returned to No. 10 promising a fundamental renegotiation and referendum on EC membership. By the end of the first year of membership, 67% of voters had said ‘yes’ to Europe in the UK’s first-ever national referendum.

Examining the relationship between diplomacy and domestic debate, this book explores the continuities between the European policies pursued by Heath and Wilson in this period. Despite the majority vote in favour of maintaining membership, Lindsay Aqui argues that this majority was underpinned by a degree of uncertainty and that ultimately, neither Heath nor Wilson managed to transform the UK’s relationship with the EC in the ways they had hoped possible. -- .