EU Referendum: Will Britain Choose Europe or the U.S.?

British Prime Minister Tony Blair stunned everybody with his dramatic U-turn April 19 announcing a referendum on the proposed new EU constitution, responding to fears that the proposed legislation would make Britain an offshore province of a European superstate. Which way will the British vote? What will be the consequences for the special relationship with the United States?

by Melvin Rhodes

When I was in school in England in the '50s and early '60s, we were taught that British foreign policy toward the Continent for 400 years had been based on staying out of Europe unless one of its nations became so powerful that it threatened the peaceful existence of others, especially Great Britain. British security, we were told, lay beyond the seas, with the British Commonwealth and the United States.

Four of my younger brothers, a few years behind me, were taught something quite different. Britain's future, they were assured, lay with Europe. Following a vote in the British Parliament in 1971, Britain applied to join what was then the European Economic Community (EEC). On Jan. 1, 1973, Britain became a full member.

Britain's future, however, was still not resolved. Two years later, a different government announced the first referendum in U.K. history—a vote on whether to stay in the EEC. At the start of the campaign, most were against continuing membership in the community. By the time of the vote, they had changed their minds and Britain's future seemed assured.

Now, it seems, the debate is still not over. Britain is now set to have another referendum on Europe in the autumn of next year, this time to decide whether the country should sign the new European constitution, a constitution that will create a federal Europe to rival the United States of America.

Broken promises

Europe has come a long way since British entry into the EEC in 1973. Before that year there were only six members of the EEC. Joining at the same time as the United Kingdom were Ireland and Denmark. Others joined later, making it 15. May 1 this year another 10 joined, making the total number of members 25. A little over 10 years ago the EEC became the European Union (EU). Members are committed to forming "an ever closer union."

Read the full article at www.wnponline.org/wnp/wnp0405/referendum.htm

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