Wilson Attacks Govt.

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30055, 13 February 1963, Page 21

Wilson Attacks Govt.

Mr Wilson, for Labour, accused the Conservative Government of "defeatism, a certain amount of peevishness and a complete policy vacuum” over its handling of the Common Market negotiations.

Moving a vote of noconfidence in the Government, he told the House of Commons the terms already negotiated and settled in Brussels before the talks broke down constituted a "national humiliation.” He wanted to nail once and for ail the idea that the Government were within an ace of achieving a satisfactory agreement when the prize was "snatched from their grasp by an intransigent Frenchman.” The Opposition, Mr Wilson said, utterly rejected MrMacmillan’s account of a satisfactory arrangement sabotaged by President de Gaulle. What had collapsed was not only the Common Market negotiations, but the whole of the Government’s policies based on it—economic, defence and foreign policy. “We must understand agree and resolve that we cannot hang around tn European ante-chambers for a further period of months, or years, in the hope that the Brussels temperature will become warmer. We do not rule out further negotiations at the right time and under the right auspices,” Mr Wil“Manipulation” Great harm had been done not only “by the clear willingness of British Ministers to sacrifice Commonwealth interests through their scramble to get into Europe, but by the whole story of the manipulation of the Commonwealth Prime Ministers’ Conference”

There had been the calculated leaks by British Ministers. Looking across at the Government fron’ bench, Mr Wilson said: "And the guiltiest of the lot is sitting there making notes at this moment.” Mr Wilson acid he referred to the Commonwealth Secretary (Mr Duncan Sandys) These leaks had been designed "to isolate, and even on occasions to discredit individual Commonwealth leaders,” A new Commonwealth Prime Ministers’ conference was needed to restore confidence. he said In spite of all this there was good' will in the Commonwealth towards British trade Mr Wilson said the Labour Party did not rule out further Common Market talks at the right time and right place. But in any future talks Britain could not "again allow ourselves to get into the posture of suppliants" Neither should Britain start from the "catalogue of eoncessions” from Mr Heath, which had gone tar beyond his authority. Mr Wilson thought the political position in Europe was more sombre The job now was to ensure that existing political relations, particularly the Western alliance, were not endangered Britain could show her determination not to turn her back on Europe if she proposed regular meetings of the Heads of Governments of all the countries of Western and Northern Europe. Expansion Plan Mr Wilson called for a national plan of industrial expansion for Britain to meet what he called Commonwealth requirements. He also called for the means of enforcing such a plan. It would mean State initiative in building, equipping and running factories to fill "the hard-centre gaps in our economy.” Among world measures needed would be an increase in world liquidity and world commodity agreements. The

problem of world surpluses would also have to be dealt with. He said the biggest bottleneck in most developing countries was rail transport. He suggested international plans for mobilising railway workshops and steel mills in Britain and elsewhere to produce locomotives, rolling stock and track. Sir Derek Walker-Smith, one of the Conservatives who opposed British entry into the Common Market, put forward a four-point plan. The four points were: Britain should s r ek association with the Six, but not integration at the price of sovereignty or the Commonwealth. Association must be weighed in the balance with Britain’s wider endeavours in the world as a whole. The initiative must come for the time being from the Six. Britain must preserve the utmost friendliness and goodwiU towards Europe, but make it clear she is a friend and well-wisher, not a suitor and suppliant. The Commonwealth Economic Consultative Council should be made an effective body. It had led only a shadowy existence since its inception in 1958. Also wanted were a Commonwealth markeing board, a Commonwealth population board, and a Commonwealth technical co-operation scheme. Measures were needed, too, to safeguard and promote capital investment in the Commonwealth. Mr John Dugdale, a former Labour Minister, urged the founding of a Commonwealth bank oo the lines of the World Bank. There should also be a Commonwealth health and education service. Sandy s' Views Mt Saodys said he could not. accept that the decision to ban Britain from the Common Market could endure for long. He told the House: "The decision taken in Brussete does not, I feel, accord wrtfc the tartenesrts and sentiments of the people of Western Europe and runs counter to the whole trend of history. I therefore cannot accept that this decision is final or that it will long endure.” Mr Sand.vs said the process of diversifying markets tor

Co«nmoowea.lth trade had started kmg before the Brussels negotiations. It was quite clear that it would eon. tdnue irrespective of whether Britain joined the Common Market. The British Government therefore agreed with Mr Menzies when be said "the other day" that the search tor new markets must go on. Mr Holyoake had stressed the same point. Mr Sandys said Mr Wilson, while advocating a Commonwealth conference of his own, had pooh-poohed the meeting of Commonwealth trade Ministers. He asked: “Are we wrong to use the existing machinery of the Commonwealth? TYie meeting may be a normal one but the issues to be discussed will be of very exceptional importance.’’ Mr Wilson had also seemed to be advoeatinc a series of bilateral deals under which Britain would buy Commonwealth primary products and the Commonwealth countries would in turn buy British manufactured goods. “That

just is not what the Commonwealth countries want. What they want is wider, multUateral trade.” be laid. Britain’s immediate aim must be to do her utmost to ensure that the next vitally. Important round of tariff negottettoM resulted in a major loosening up of trade

neatrictions throughout the world. Speaking of the limitation of Common wealth tirade, Mr Sandys said the developing Commonwealth countries would not fee] able to submit their young industries to unrestricted British competition. Equally, the British farmer oould not, without support, bold his own against the lowcost producers in Australia and New Zealand. "But while accepting the necessity of expending trade outside the Commonwealth, we must not assume that there are not still great opportunities for expanding trade within the Commonwealth also and these opportunities must be exploited to the full” Mr Sandys said Mr Wilson had said the breakdown tn negotiations was a merciful release. “AU I can say is that this has not been the general reaction in the Commonwealth at all." He quoted from the Wellington “Evening Post," which described the breakdown as “a tragedy and a challenge,” and the “Sydney Morning Herald” had written that it had become apparent in the last 12 months that Australia's long-term interests might be better served if Britain were inside the European community. Great Benefits Mr Sandys said there had emerged from the Brussels negotiations a whole series of specific arrangements which had offered grea benefits to the Commonwealth over what has happened ir Brussels. “Among other things they recognise that the hard economic facts which led Britain to seek to join the Common Market are still with us." he said. “They cannot be ignored simply because the negotiations have collapsed." Mr Sandys said many people had feared that Britain's application to join the European Economic Community would fatally undermine Commonwealth unity. But that had not happened In fact it had given them a better understanding o< one another's problems and needs than ever before.

When Opposition members shouted cries of disbelief, Mr Sandys persisted. “These earnest consultations have imparted an increased sense of reality and purpose to our Commonwealth relationships," he said.

“We have really learned to understand each other’s point of view imd have come a great deal nearer together on these difficult economic problems. *' The links between Britain and the Commonwealth had been tested and had stood the strain, he said. The Commonwealth had emerged strengthened.