EEC membership referendum in the United Kingdom in 1975

Location of the United Kingdom in the European Economic Community in 1975

On June 5, 1975, a referendum was held in the United Kingdom on the country's membership of the European Economic Community (EEC). With a turnout of 64.0%, 67.2% of the voters voted to remain in the EEC, which the United Kingdom had joined two years earlier. It was the first nationwide referendum in UK history.

prehistory

The incumbent party leader of the Conservatives since 1974, Margaret Thatcher , supported the yes campaign

Michael Foot , one of the Labor politicians who supported the no vote

After the Second World War , the European idea, ie the idea of ​​creating a supranational European confederation to avoid future wars, was booming. The British Prime Minister Winston Churchill spoke out several times for the creation of such a European union of states. However, it was just as clear to Churchill and most other British politicians that the United Kingdom would not belong to such a federation . Whenever Churchill spoke of "Europe" in this context, he meant continental Europe. He and others saw Great Britain's role primarily in the context of the Commonwealth of Nations .

Meanwhile, European integration advanced on the European continent . In 1952 the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) was founded. On March 25, 1957, 6 states - Belgium , the West German Federal Republic , France , Italy , Luxembourg and the Netherlands - signed the Treaty of Rome , with which the European Economic Community (EEC) was founded. As a small alternative to the EEC, a number of European states that did not belong to the EEC, including the United Kingdom, founded the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) in 1960 .

In the following years there was a remarkable continuous economic upswing in the EEC countries, the so-called German economic miracle was particularly impressive . In 1961, under Prime Minister Harold Macmillan , the United Kingdom made its first application for membership of the EEC. This, as well as a second application made under the government of Harold Wilson in 1967, was rejected due to the veto of French President Charles de Gaulle . The main reasons given for the veto were economic arguments, but the decisive factor was probably political considerations. De Gaulle wanted to prevent Anglo-Saxon influence in Europe, as this went against his conception of a French-led Europe. All the other EEC member states were in favor of Great Britain joining.

1969 de Gaulle resigned from the presidency. He was succeeded by Georges Pompidou , who was not opposed to the UK joining the EEC. As a safeguard, Pompidou had the approval of the EEC enlargement confirmed in a referendum on April 23, 1972 by the French electorate. After lengthy negotiations, the United Kingdom joined the Republic of Ireland and Denmark on January 1, 1973 as part of the first EEC enlargement .

Domestic political debate about accession or membership

In the UK, all three major parties, the Conservatives , Labor and Liberals, had been in favor of joining the EEC since the 1960s. The main argument against joining was that Britain did not want to endanger the old cultural and economic ties with the Commonwealth of Nations. Corresponding contracts were drawn up for this purpose.

On the British side, the negotiations for accession were essentially led by the then Conservative Prime Minister Edward Heath , who was elected to office in mid-1970 and who was a staunch “pro-European”. The result of the negotiations was criticized by the opposition Labor Party, which promised to renegotiate the result in the event of an election victory and then to hold a referendum. The renegotiations should primarily concern the fields of the common agricultural policy , the intended alignment of VAT and economic and monetary policy. In February 1974 there was a new election in which neither of the two major parties won an absolute majority. A Labor minority government was then formed under Prime Minister Harold Wilson. Due to the lack of a parliamentary majority, there was a second parliamentary election in October that same year , which the Labor Party won with a very narrow majority. Wilson remained prime minister. His government started new negotiations with the EEC and an agreement was reached mainly at the EEC summits in Paris in December 1974 and in Dublin in March 1975. The amendments to the treaty were adopted on April 9, 1975 by the British Parliament. The government announced the date for the promised referendum in April 1975. The following question was asked in the referendum:

"Do you think the United Kingdom should stay in the European Community (Common Market)?"

"Do you think the United Kingdom should remain a member of the European Economic Community (the Common Market)?"

- Question of the referendum of June 5, 1975

Most of the supporters of EEC membership were actually against a referendum. This element of direct democracy was new to the UK and first used in the 1973 referendum in Northern Ireland . Margaret Thatcher , who was elected the new Conservative party leader after the election defeat in March 1974, called the referendum "a device of dictators and demagogues" .

In the campaign leading up to the referendum, the majority of Labor members of the government, including the Prime Minister, voted in favor. The government had large numbers of relevant information leaflets distributed to all households. At least 7 out of 23 cabinet members spoke out against further EEC membership. There has been significant opposition to government policy, particularly from the Labor left wing. In order to convince his Labor party friends of the advantages of membership in the EEC, the newly elected Chancellor Helmut Schmidt traveled to England and gave a speech at the Labor Party Congress on November 30, 1974. Labor leaders who voted no include Michael Foot , Tony Benn , Peter Shore , Eric Varley , and Barbara Castle . At the Labor Party Congress on April 26, 1975, more than half of all delegates spoke out against membership of the EEC. Because of the internal turmoil, the Labor Party did not issue an official election recommendation. According to some election observers, the purpose of the referendum in Wilson's eyes was also to hold the divided Labor Party together. In the words of BBC commentator Peter Kellner : "... the decision to hold the 1975 European Communities referendum [...] was wholly to do with holding the Labor Party together" ("... the decision to hold a referendum was essentially determined by the goal to hold the Labor Party together ”). The conservative party leader Margaret Thatcher spoke out strongly in favor of EEC membership. The number of EEC skeptics among the Conservatives was significantly fewer than among the Labor Party. The most famous among them was Enoch Powell . The majority of the regional parties Scottish National Party (Scotland), Plaid Cymru (Wales), Ulster Unionist Party and Democratic Unionist Party (both Northern Ireland) voted for a “no”. Proponents of EEC membership included the Liberal Party , the Social Democratic and Labor Party (SDLP), and the Alliance Party of Northern Ireland .

The British industry associations overwhelmingly backed the yes campaign, as did the vast majority of the press and the Church of England. The unions, which had a considerable influence on the Labor Party, were largely negative. Overall, the yes campaign was much better organized and financed.

Results

Results nationwide

Yes votes by part of the country 68.7% (England) 64.7% (Wales) 58.4% (Scotland) 52.1% (Northern Ireland)




Percent yes votes by counties 27.5–30.0% 30.0–32.5% 32.5–35.0% 35.0–37.5% 32.5–35.0% 42 , 5-45.0% 45.0-47.5% 47.5-50.0% 50.0-52.5% 52.5-55.0% 57.5-60.0% 60.0 -62.5% 62.5-65.0% 65.0-67.5% 67.5-70.0% 72.5-75.0% 72.5-77.5%


















Nationwide, 25,903,194 of 40,456,877 registered voters cast their votes, which corresponded to a voter turnout of 64.03%. 54,540 votes were considered invalid and 25,848,654 valid. Of the valid votes, 17,378,581 (67.2%) were votes in favor and 8,470,073 (32.8%) were voted against.

Part of the country	Voter turnout (%)	Yes		No
		number	%	number	%
England	64.6	14,918,009	68.66	6,810,017	31.34
Scotland	61.7	1,332,166	58.42	948.039	41.58
Wales	66.7	865.135	64.70	472.071	37.30
Northern Ireland	47.4	259.251	52.15	237.911	47.85
United Kingdom	64.03	17,378,581	67.23	8,470,073	32.77

Results by constituency

England

Part of the country	Participation%	Yes votes	Vote no	Yes (%)	No (%)
England	64.6	14,918,009	6,810,017	68.66	31.34

County ( County )	Yes votes	Vote no	Yes (%)	No (%)	Participation%
Avon	310.145	147.024	67.8	32.2	68.7
Bedfordshire	154,338	67,969	69.4	30.6	67.9
Berkshire	215.184	81,221	72.6	27.4	66.4
Buckinghamshire	180,512	62,578	74.3	25.7	69.5
Cambridgeshire	177,789	62.143	74.1	25.9	62.9
Cheshire	290.714	123.839	70.1	29.9	65.5
Cleveland	158,982	77,079	67.3	32.7	60.2
Cornwall	137,828	63,478	68.5	31.5	66.8
Cumbria	162,545	63,564	71.9	28.1	64.8
Derbyshire	286.614	131,457	68.6	31.4	64.1
Devon	334.244	129,179	72.1	27.9	68.0
Dorset	217,432	78,239	73.5	26.5	68.3
Durham	175.284	97.724	64.2	35.8	61.5
Essex	463.505	222.085	67.6	32.4	67.7
Gloucestershire	170.931	67,465	71.7	28.3	68.4
Greater London	2,201,031	1,100,185	66.7	33.3	60.8
Greater Manchester	797.316	439.191	64.5	35.5	64.1
Hampshire	484.302	197,761	71.0	29.0	68.0
Hereford and Worcester	203.128	75,779	72.8	27.2	66.4
Hertfordshire	326.943	137.226	70.4	29.6	70.2
Humberside	257,826	122.199	67.8	32.2	62.4
Isle of Wight	40,837	17,375	70.2	29.8	67.5
Isles of Scilly	802	275	74.5	25.5	75.0
Kent	493,407	207.358	70.4	29.6	67.4
Lancashire	455.170	208,821	68.6	31.4	67.2
Leicestershire	291,500	106.004	73.3	26.7	66.4
Lincolnshire	180.603	61.011	74.7	25.3	63.7
Merseyside	465.625	252.712	64.8	35.2	62.7
Norfolk	218.883	93,198	70.1	29.9	63.8
Northamptonshire	162,803	71,322	69.5	30.5	65.0
Northumberland	95,980	42,645	69.2	30.8	65.0
Nottinghamshire	297.191	147,461	66.8	33.2	67.7
Oxfordshire	179,938	64,643	73.6	26.4	67.7
Salop	113.044	43,329	72.3	27.7	62.0
Somerset	138,830	60,631	69.6	30.4	67.7
Staffordshire	306,518	148.252	67.4	32.6	64.3
Suffolk	187.484	72,251	72.2	27.8	64.9
Surrey	386,369	120,576	76.2	23.8	70.1
East Sussex	249.780	86,198	74.3	25.7	68.6
West Sussex	242,890	73,928	76.7	23.3	68.6
Tyne and Wear	344,069	202,511	62.9	37.1	62.7
Warwickshire	156.303	67.221	69.9	30.1	68.0
West Midlands	801.913	429.207	65.1	34.9	62.5
Wiltshire	172.791	68.113	71.7	28.3	67.8
North Yorkshire	234.040	72,805	76.3	23.7	64.3
South Yorkshire	377.916	217,792	63.4	36.6	62.4
West Yorkshire	616.730	326.993	65.4	34.6	63.6

Northern Ireland

Part of the country	Participation%	Yes votes	Vote no	Yes (%)	No (%)
Northern Ireland	47.4	259.251	237.911	52.15	47.85

Scotland

Part of the country	Participation%	Yes votes	Vote no	Yes (%)	No (%)
Scotland	61.7	1,332,166	948.039	58.42	41.58

region	Yes votes	Vote no	Yes (%)	No (%)	Participation%
Borders	34.092	13,053	72.3	27.7	63.2
Central	71,986	48,568	59.7	40.3	64.1
Dumfries and Galloway	42,608	19,856	68.2	31.8	61.5
Fife	84,239	65,260	56.3	43.7	63.3
Grampian	108,520	78.071	58.2	41.8	57.4
Highland	40,802	33,979	54.6	45.4	58.7
Lothian	208.133	141,456	59.5	40.5	63.6
Orkney	3,911	2,419	61.8	38.2	48.2
Shetland	2,815	3,631	43.7	56.3	47.1
Strathclyde	625.939	459.073	57.7	42.3	61.7
Tayside	105,728	74,567	58.6	41.4	63.8
Western Isles	3,393	8.106	29.5	70.5	50.1

Wales

Part of the country	Participation%	Yes votes	Vote no	Yes (%)	No (%)
Wales	66.7	865.135	472.071	64.70	37.30

County ( Preserved County )	Yes votes	Vote no	Yes (%)	No (%)	Participation%
Clwyd	123.980	55,424	69.1	30.9	65.8
Dyfed	109.184	52.264	67.6	32.4	67.5
Mid glam organ	147,348	111,672	56.9	43.1	66.6
South Glamorgan	127.932	56,224	69.5	30.5	66.7
West Glamorgan	112,989	70,316	61.6	38.4	67.4
Gwent	132,557	80.992	62.1	37.9	68.2
Gwynedd	76,421	31,807	70.6	29.4	64.3
Powys	38,724	13,372	74.3	25.7	67.9

rating

The government had formulated no minimum turnout as a condition for the validity of the result. The turnout of 64% was lower than usual in the general election, but it still seemed acceptable. More than two thirds of the electorate and all four parts of the country (England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland) had spoken out in favor of remaining in the EEC, so that Prime Minister Wilson could feel confirmed in his policy. Home Secretary Roy Jenkins said in a statement on the result:

“It puts the uncertainty behind us. It commits Britain to Europe; it commits us to playing an active, constructive and enthusiastic role in it. "

“It ends the uncertainty. It binds Britain to Europe; it obliges us to play an active, constructive and enthusiastic role in it. "

- Roy Jenkins ( Home Secretary ) : Statement on the outcome of the referendum

Closing remarks

Despite decades of membership in the European Economic Community and, from 1994 onwards, the European Union, there has always been a Eurosceptic basic mood in the United Kingdom since joining in 1973. Interestingly, the positions of many political parties have reversed since the 1975 referendum. If in 1975 the Conservatives were still clearly in favor of the EEC and Labor was split into a pro-European and a eurosceptic group, it is the other way around today. If the regional parties Scottish National Party and Plaid Cymru were still opponents of the EEC in 1975, today they are among the most resolute supporters of the EU. In 1975, Scotland was more skeptical of the EEC than in England. Today it is the other way round.

Web links

Commons : UK EEC Membership Referendum 1975  - Collection of Pictures, Videos and Audio Files

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Address given by Harold Macmillan on the United Kingdom's application for membership to the EC (July 31, 1961). CVCE, accessed December 12, 2015 . 
2. ↑ ^{a b} Matthias Krupa : Great Britain: A Kingdom for Europe. Die Zeit, January 31, 2013, accessed on December 12, 2015 . 
3. ↑ ^{a b} On this day: November 27th: 1967: De Gaulle says 'non' to Britain - again. BBC News, accessed December 12, 2015 . 
4. ^ Agreement in Paris: nothing stands in the way of London joining the EEC. Die Zeit online, May 28, 1971, accessed on December 12, 2015 . 
5. ^ Let us work together - Labor's way out of the crisis. The Labor Party, accessed December 12, 2015 (Labor election manifesto 1974). 
6. ↑ ^{a b c d e f g h} Vaughne Miller: The 1974-75 UK Renegotiation of EEC Membership and Referendum . In: Briefing paper . No. 7253 , July 13, 2015 ( online ).
7. ↑ Harold Wilson: BRITAIN'S NEW DEAL IN EUROPE. Accessed December 12, 2015 . 
8. ↑ These were Michael Foot , Tony Benn , Peter Shore , Barbara Castle , Eric Varley , William Ross, and John Silkin .
9. ↑ SCHMIDT AT LABOR CONFERENCE. November 30, 1974, accessed December 12, 2015 (YouTube video of Schmidt's speech at the Labor Party Congress). 
10. ↑ Archive: how the Guardian reported the 1975 EEC referendum. The Guardian, accessed December 12, 2015 . 
11. ^ Conservative Central Office: Yes to Europe, The Conservative Guide for the 1975 Referendum Campaign. London: Conservative Research Department, 1975. 96 pp. 28-52, 55-66. pdf (accessed December 12, 2015)
12. ^ Thresholds in referendums. www.parliament.uk, June 30, 2011, accessed December 12, 2015 . 
13. ↑ On this day: 6 June: 1975: UK embraces Europe in referendum. BBC News, accessed December 12, 2015 . 
14. ↑ Nick Eardley: Is Scotland the most pro-EU part of the UK? BBC News, February 18, 2016, accessed February 29, 2016 .