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AHC: Britain a Founder Member of the E.E.C.

Simon

Oblivious
With the UK's current political situation it's gotten me wondering again but is there any way–outside of Alien Space Bats–for the UK to be a signatory of the Treaty of Rome in 1957? It's tricky. Currently doing some reading so thought I'd throw it open and see if anyone had any decent ideas in the meantime.
 
With the UK's current political situation it's gotten me wondering again but is there any way–outside of Alien Space Bats–for the UK to be a signatory of the Treaty of Rome in 1957? It's tricky. Currently doing some reading so thought I'd throw it open and see if anyone had any decent ideas in the meantime.

As far as i know, it very nearly happened until something about it annoying the Durham Miners.

I suspect it would have resulted in a much more pared down EFTA type concept of Europe than the current EU-that or the UK would be more willing to engage in an EU level bloc if we had a bit more sense of ownership of it (part of British Euro skepticism, I sense, could be described as a dislike of having to fit into someone elses club)
 
One of the reasons Britain didn't get involved was we thought the Commonwealth was a better deal and full of old ties - if something happens to stop us thinking that, something that makes it clear the Commonwealth isn't the safe bet we think it is or someone is in office who worries this isn't going to be enough to bolster us against the US and USSR, we might want in on the EEC.
 
As far as i know, it very nearly happened until something about it annoying the Durham Miners.
Well they did have slightly less influence with the Conservatives, but they had their own awkward groups.


I suspect it would have resulted in a much more pared down EFTA type concept of Europe than the current EU – that or the UK would be more willing to engage in an EU level bloc if we had a bit more sense of ownership of it (part of British Euro-skepticism, I sense, could be described as a dislike of having to fit into someone elses club).
IIRC de Gaulle was always in favour of an intergovernmental rather than supranational style of organising the EEC so that might find a more receptive ear in a Britain that joins, and if two of the big three nations lean more that way it might affect how things are laid out. I agree that Britain is going to be seeing it as an economic endeavour which likely means they attempt to scrub any language that sounds too integrationist – 'ever-closer union' could be replaced by something like 'ever-closer friendship and understanding', or that might be a little too hindsight-ish. These, especially the former, could mean it taking longer than our timeline to advance integration.


One of the reasons Britain didn't get involved was we thought the Commonwealth was a better deal and full of old ties - if something happens to stop us thinking that, something that makes it clear the Commonwealth isn't the safe bet we think it is or someone is in office who worries this isn't going to be enough to bolster us against the US and USSR, we might want in on the EEC.
I'll have to double check but IIRC there was a committee of civil servant who either during the war or shortly after which looked at things and decided that trying to compete in Europe would be pointless as Germany would just eventually rebuild and come to dominate things again, so better to concentrate on the Empire. Even without that the trick is to try and get people to realise that Europe and the world aren't mutually exclusive.
 
Guess depends a lot on what the political solution was to trade ties with NZ/Australia.

Suspect by time early 70s came, everyone was a bit more detached and had planned for it (alongside British arrangements).
 
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