Political Developments: EEC Membership Referendum of 1975

Question 1

When did the EEC referendum take place?

Answer 1

January 1975

Question 2

Why did Wilson hold an EEC referendum?

Answer 2

He promised he would hold one after getting in to the EEC in 1973 to keep Labour together

Question 3

What was the question stated in the referendum?

Answer 3

‘Should Britain remain a member of the EEC’?

Question 4

Who were some significant members on the ‘No’ side of the campaign?

Answer 4

Enoch Powell, Tony Benn, Michael Foot, Barbara Castle

Question 5

What side of the party were most of the ‘No’ Labour MP’s on? Why is this signficant?

Answer 5

Left. This could show how they did not want Britain to engage in less socialist regimes and may also be taken over in their policies by the EEC.

Question 6

Which side of the campaign was less organised?

Answer 6

The ‘No’ campaign

Question 7

What was a division in the ‘No’ campaign between 2 significant MP’s?

Answer 7

Tony Benn did not like Enoch Powell, stating he was racist

Question 8

What were the 2 campaigning points on the ‘No side of the Campaign? Who was on which side?

Answer 8

Foot and Castle felt EEC membership would be bad for British Workers. Tony Benn and Enoch Powell felt Britain would be losing their independence

Question 9

Which parties were mostly on the ‘Yes’ side of the campaign?

Answer 9

Conservatives and Liberals

Question 10

Who were some significant ‘Yes’ politicians?

Answer 10

Roy Jenkins, Margaret Thatcher, Edward Heath, Liberal Leader Jeremy Thorpe

Question 11

What advantage did the ‘Yes’ politicians have financially in their campaign?

Answer 11

They were able to spend twice as much money than the ‘No’ side

Question 12

What is an example of big business backing for the ‘Yes’ campaign?

Answer 12

415 out of 419 company chairmen wanted to stay in the EEC

Question 13

What is a specific example of big business backing for the ‘Yes’ campaign?

Answer 13

Tesco put messages on their bags in favour of the ‘Yes’ Campaign

Question 14

What was the campaigning point of the ‘Yes’ side?

Answer 14

They felt that due to the current economic situation in Britain, the EEC would be the only way to survive

Question 15

What did Heath warn voters about if they did not join the EEC?

Answer 15

That there would be a socialist invasion of Europe

Question 16

What was the result of the EEC referendum?

Answer 16

2 in 1 to favour staying in the EEC with a 64.5% vote turnout

Question 17

Where was the least support for staying in the EEC? What % vote in favour of staying was there? What voting turnout?

Answer 17

Northern Ireland. Slightly over half voted ‘Yes’ on a 47% voting turnout

Question 18

What was an issue with having to hold an EEC referendum in the first place?

Answer 18

It showed that there was a lack of committment to being in the EEC

Question 19

Why might the EEC referendum have shown a lack of committment?

Answer 19

Because Britain should have been certain that they needed to be in the organisation for their future.

Question 20

How is the EEC referendum a success of Harold Wilson?

Answer 20

He managed to keep his party together even if most of the Labour MP’s felt it was a loss

Question 21

What was the impact of staying in the EEC for Eurosceptic Labour MP’s?

Answer 21

They became increasingly anti-European

Question 22

What were MP’s told they were allowed to do when voting on if to stay in the EEC or not?

Answer 22

They were allowed to vote on their own terms

Question 23

What were the terms renogotiated about being in the EEC?

Answer 23

The amount of money paid to farmers

Question 24

How could the EEC referendum show Wilson’s paranoia? What did Wilson say about the referendum?

Answer 24

Wilson freely let the government express their immense divisions and fight against each other, not saying much about the referendum