An Awkward Partner: Britain in the European CommunityBritain joined the European Community in 1973, over twenty years after the first of the European Communities was formed. Within a year, she had established a reputation for being at odds with major Community initiatives and for taking an independent point of view. In An Awkward Partner Stephen George surveys the policies that earned Britain this reputation, recording the role successive British governments have played in the European Community. He stresses the influence both of external circumstances and of domestic political considerations in shaping these policies and analyses some of the underlying political reasons for Britain's perceived awkwardness. The original edition of the book was the first book-length survey to appear in English of British policy towards the European Community, and rapidly became established as the leading book in the field for students. In this substantially expanded edition, Stephen George brings his analysis up to date, examining the last years of the Thatcher premiership, the record of John Major's government, and the future prospects for Britain in the new European Union. This new edition will continue to be invaluable to students taking courses on the European Community, comparative European politics, and public policy. |
Contents
The Heath Government 19701974 | 42 |
The Wilson Governments 19741976 | 71 |
The Callaghan Government 19671979 | 107 |
Copyright | |
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accepted achieved affairs agreed agreement agricultural approach attempt attitude awkward partner Britain British Government British membership British presidency Brussels budget Callaghan campaign cent co-operation Commission commitment Common Market Commonwealth Community's concessions Conservative Party Council of Ministers currency defence Delors domestic political economic election entry ERDF European Community European Council European Parliament European Union exchange rate exports favour Fontainebleau foreign policy Foreign Secretary France French funds Gaulle German Hansard Heath Helmut Schmidt Ibid increase industrial inflation insisted inter-governmental conference internal market issue Jacques Delors John Major June Labour Government Labour Party leader leadership London Maastricht Macmillan majority Margaret Thatcher meeting Mitterrand monetary union negotiations parliamentary payments position problems programme proposals rebate referendum reform renegotiation Schmidt Single European Act social Soviet Union speech sterling summit Tony Benn trade unions Treaty United vote West European West Germany Western Europe Wilson