EEC.: Wilson's tough task

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33741, 14 January 1975, Page 15

EEC.: Wilson's tough task

(N.Z.P.A. Statt Correspondent) LONDON.

As the campaign for Britain’s historic Common Market “in-or-out” referendum warms 1 up, the split within the Labour Government on the issue is widening.

Two Ministers have already made public speeches setting out opposing views on Britain’s continued membership of the Community, and the Prime Minister (Mr Wilson) clearly faces a tough task in maintaining a semblance of unity in the Cabinet while he embarks on renegotiation of the entry terms. He intends to hold a vital Cabinet meeting within the next week or so to discuss the Government’s strategy for the referendum — the first in British history. Present indications are.that the poll will be held in June, or early in July, if the Government can force the con-

troversial legislation through both Houses of Parliament in time.

In ’he meantime both the pro-Marketeers and those who want Britain to withdraw from the Community are lining up their forces to begin campaigning in earnest later this month.

Sir Christopher Soames, former Ambassador to Fiance and now senior British member of the European Executive Commission in Brussels will begin on January 24 a two-month lecture tour on behalf of the Opposition Conservative Party. His task is “to provide maximum information on the advantages of Britain’s remaining in the European Economic Community.” The all-party European Movement and the European League for Economic Cooperation have jointly recruited Sir Con O’Neill, who led the British delegation in the negotiations, to coordinate their “stay-in’’ campaign.

And all the anti-Common Market forces have combined in a new “get-out” organisation, the National Referendum Campaign. They hope to feature the devout anti-Market Ulster Unionist members of Parliament, Mr Enoch Powell, a former Tory, as their star in the battle ahead. Ironically, for it is . now generally accepted that Mr Wilson wants to keep Britain in Europe, it was Mr Powell’s “Vote Labour” cry that was widely credited with the Conservative Party’s downfall in February of last year. Mr Wilson is undoubtedly hoping that his Ministers and back-benchers will play it cool, at least until he has completed the renegotiations with his European colleagues, and has decided on the Government’s stand on the referendum.

It is not yet known whether the Government will make-any recommendation to the electors, or leave them to make up their own minds.

The bitter attack on the Common Market launched by the Secretary of State for Industry (Mr Anthony Wedgwood Benn) at the end of December brought the Government’s split right into the open: there were no terms at all under which Britain could satisfactorily remain in the E.E.C., he said, adding that to stay in would mean the end of Britain as a self-governing nation. A Minister of State at the Foreign Office, Mr Roy Hattersley, denied this loss-of-sovereignty claim on; Monday night.

The debate is now on. Mr Benn and other antiMarketeers in the Government want no formal recommendation to go to the voters, v and they want the doctrine of Ministerial responsibility—under which all Ministers silently accept the consensus—dropped in favour of freedom to speak their minds on this issue.