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The second British application to join the European Communities (EC) was made during Harold Wilson's second Labour government. It ended in failure with French President Charles de Gaulle's veto in November 1967. "Harold Wilson and Europe" traces the development of Britain's policy towards the EC from the veto to the end of Wilson's government in June 1970. Based on detailed archival research, Melissa Pine traces Wilson's efforts to forge stronger bonds with EC states while managing both a cabinet divided on the issue, and a complex broader foreign policy. This fascinating insight int

Cover -- Half Title -- Title -- Copyright -- Contents -- Notes on Contributors -- Foreword -- Acknowledgements -- List of Abbreviations -- 1 Introduction: The Historiography of Wilson's Attempt to Take Britain into the EEC -- PART I: THE DOMESTIC CONTEXT -- 2 The Labour Party, Public Opinion and the 'Second Try' in 1967 -- 3 The Conservatives and the Wilson Application -- 4 Gone Native: The Foreign Office and Harold Wilson's Policy Towards the EEC, 1964-67 -- 5 Technological Cooperation in Wilson's Strategy for EEC Entry -- 6 The Confederation of British Industry and European Integration in the 1960s -- PART II: THE EXTERNAL CONTEXT -- 7 A Short-Term Defeat: The Community Institutions and the Second British Application to Join the EEC -- 8 John Bull v. Marianne, Round Two: Anglo-French Relations and Britain's Second EEC Membership Bid -- 9 Dealing with de Gaulle: Anglo-American Relations, NATO and the Second Application -- 10 From Imperial Power to Regional Powers: Commonwealth Crises and the Second Application -- 11 'We Too Mean Business': Germany and the Second British Application to the EEC, 1966-67 -- 12 Ireland and Britain's Second Application to Join the EEC -- 13 Conclusion: The Ironies of 'Successful Failure' -- Appendix I: Labour Cabinet Members, October 1964-June 1970 -- Appendix II: Chronology of European Integration and the British Approach, 1964-70 -- Bibliography -- Index.

Using previously restricted materials, Nicklaus Thomas-Symonds examines one of the most influential and successful politicians of the late twentieth century, exploring Wilson's rise to power via Clement Attlee's post-war government, his relationship to Nye Bevan, whom he eventually replaced in the Shadow Cabinet, the close workings of his own inner circle, and the issues surrounding the first European Referendum. His biography considers previously overlooked aspects of Wilson's life, such as the mysterious circumstances of his voluntary resignation and legacy in social reform.