How did British trade unions approach the European Question in the run-up to the UK Parliament’s historic vote on EEC membership in 1971? Evidence from the debating floor of the Trades Union Congress

This thesis considers how British trade unions responded to the suddenly realistic prospect of British membership of the European Economic Community (EEC) following De Gaulle’s resignation of the French Presidency in 1969. Through an analysis of the debates on British entry to the EEC that took place at the British Trades Union Congresses of 1970 and 1971, this thesis uses verbatim historical exchanges between trade union delegates to investigate the following. Firstly, the range of opinions held by various trade unionists from both those in favour and against British entry, in the face of the tendency to view organised labour as generally united in its views. Secondly, whether or not, in arriving at their views on the European Question, trade union representatives privileged economic arguments relating to the future living standards of their members and ideas relating to how industrial relations would operate in the EEC or whether broader political considerations actually proved...Show moreThis thesis considers how British trade unions responded to the suddenly realistic prospect of British membership of the European Economic Community (EEC) following De Gaulle’s resignation of the French Presidency in 1969. Through an analysis of the debates on British entry to the EEC that took place at the British Trades Union Congresses of 1970 and 1971, this thesis uses verbatim historical exchanges between trade union delegates to investigate the following. Firstly, the range of opinions held by various trade unionists from both those in favour and against British entry, in the face of the tendency to view organised labour as generally united in its views. Secondly, whether or not, in arriving at their views on the European Question, trade union representatives privileged economic arguments relating to the future living standards of their members and ideas relating to how industrial relations would operate in the EEC or whether broader political considerations actually proved more prominent. Finally, whether any link existed between a union’s stance on entry and whether it represented white-collar or blue-collar British workers or whether the fact that their members worked in domestically-focused sectors or export-oriented industries was more important.Show less

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How did British trade unions approach the European Question in the run-up to the UK Parliament’s historic vote on EEC membership in 1971? Evidence from the debating floor of the Trades Union Congress