Britain And Europe

Press, Volume CV, Issue 31031, 11 April 1966, Page 8

Britain And Europe

Two appointments to the new United Kingdom Cabinet give a better indication of the Labour Government’s attitude towards membership of the European Economic Community than any of its preelection statements. The Deputy Prime Minister, Mr George Brown, is to be in charge of Britain’s economic relations with Europe; and the former Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Mr George Thomson, will deal with Britain’s political links with Europe and with the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation. During the election campaign the Conservative Party made much of Britain’s “ need ” to join the E.E.C. Labour spokesmen emphasised the difficulties of negotiating entry: they pointed to the basic difference between Britain and the E.E.C. on agricultural protection and to Britain's obligations to Commonwealth countries.

The Labour Party’s attitude, during the election campaign, to E.E.C. membership was equivocal, if not obstructive. It was, no doubt, good election tactics for the Labour Party to decline to make a major issue of this subject—on which the Conservative Party’s policy was less “ conservative ” and more “ progressive ” than Labour’s. The election over, and Labour having won a handsome majority, Mr Wilson has now entrusted the issue to two of his senior Ministers. If favourable opportunities for entry to the E.E.C. open up before 1970 the United Kingdom Government is now well prepared to consider them. This much, at least, will be read into these appointments in the capitals of Europe and the Commonwealth.