Topic 5: FP (1987-97) Flashcards
6
Give an overview of Foreign Policy 1987-97 (including Europe)
- Britain’s place in EU increasingly questioned
- Eastern expansion reduced British influence
- Poor Clinton-Major relations, though special relationship remained strong
- Dominance of US unchallenged e.g. Balkans
- End of Cold War meant Britain and NATO had to find new role
- But Britain expected to play role in new world order
1
Describe Thatcher’s hardening euroscepticism by 1987
- Especially opposed to ‘ever closer union’ of federalist and French socialist Delors (1985-95)
2
Describe Thatcher’s changed attitude on the SEA 1986
- Later claimed that she had misunderstood implications of political unity
- Concerned many Con MPs over her judgement
4
Describe the Bruges Speech 1988
- Sept 1988
- Thatcher set out vision of Europe against greater involvement in social policy
- Coupled national sovereignty with free market economics
- Claimed Britain had not ‘rolled back the frontiers of the state’ to see the reimposed by ‘a European super-state’
3
Describe the reaction to the Bruges speech 1988
- Hositle European reactions
- Single market vision and absence of central European institutions an effective impossibility
- Enthused eurosceptic MPs to create Bruges Group to focus oppositon on increasing integration
3
Describe Thatcher’s support of European expansion
- Encouraged expansion to former communist satellite states
- Would ensure free-trade dominance
- Hoped it would create shallower union to limit centralisation and weaken EU Commission power
3
Describe the 3 stage route to a Economic and Monetary Union recommended by the Delors Report 1989
- membership of ERM
- currency alignment
- establishment of single currency and central bank
2
Describe the significance to the Delors Report 1989
- Currency union could lead to common budgetary policy to stabilise currency
- Would lead to huge impact on national fiscal policy
3
Describe the reaction to the Delors Report 1989 in Britain
- Threat to sterling fuelled Thatcher oppositon to EMU
- Lawson proposed alternative scheme involving competing currencies
- Discredited from trying to steal initiative from Delors
3
Describe the social charter
Laid down minimal conditions…
- education
- employment
- social security
3
Describe the reaction to the social charter in Britain
- Would threaten British competitiveness and further weaken sovereignty
- Thatcher vehemently opposed
- Delors recieved standing ovation at TUC Conference 1988
3
Describe Thatcher’s concessions on Europe
- Under pressure, increased Britain’s contribution to EEC social fund
- Agreed to stage 1 of Delors Report (European Monetary System)
- Thus able to delay timetable for Stages 2 and 3 and refuse to accept social charter
4
Describe continuing division over the ERM under Thatcher
- Joined in 1990
- French and Germans pushed ahead and set Sept 1994 as date for Stage 2 implementation
- Thatcher undermined her own CX Lawson
- Led French/Germans to believe she was determined to wreck EMU
4
Describe Thatcher’s positive relations with Europe
- Initial enthusiasm for Single Market
- Pointed Europe towards greater competition
- Supportive of some European ventures e.g. Channel Tunnel joint project with France started construction in 1988
- Patriotic rhetoric arguably masked acceptance of ceding of British sovereignty
How much of British trade was with the EEC by 1990?
over 1/2
3
Describe Thatcher’s views on Europe post-premiership
- Much of euroscepticism developed after she left office
- Fuelled eurosceptic cabinet ministers (Portillo, Redwood) + backbenchers (IDS, Bill Cash)
- Called for referendum on Maastricht a la Denmark, etc
3
Outline the changing climate of Europe during Major’s premiership
- German reunification
- Incorporation of Eastern European states
- Stronger emphasis on common defence policy and strategy
3
Describe division over a common European security policy
- Europe-wide security policy needed after Yugoslav wars began in 1991
- Britain preferred policies be left with UN and NATO
- France and Germany wanted EU security policy independent of USA
5
Describe the terms of the Maastricht Treaty 1992
- Became EU
- Revamped political and economic structure to deal with expansion
- Created EU citizenship
- Common foreign and security, interior, justice policy
- Single euro currency would be introduced in 1999
2
Describe British ‘opt outs’ in the Maastricht Treaty
- Had opted out of Social Chapter (based on Social Charter)
- Britain and Denmark retained opt out of single currency
2
Describe limits to British ‘opt outs’
- Labour supported both measures
- Most businesses supported single currency to eliminate fluctuations with other European currencies
6
Describe the problems with the Maasricht Treaty
- Internal Conservative opposition
- Supranational powers of European Parliament extended to edu, health, culture
- Increased spending on pan-European infrastructure projects - against Tory cost-cutting
- Eastern states would recieve greater structural funds
- CAP cost increased
- Social Chapter opt out could be circumvented
2
Describe how the social chapter opt out could be circumvented
- EU insisted on equal treatment of men and women on retirement age
- ECJ rulings made on health and safety measures e.g. 48hr week
3
Describe the internal conservative opposition to Maastricht
- Perceived as huge leap towards federalism by Thatcherites
- Huge Tory rebellions and slim majority delayed HoC passage by a year
- Major called eurosceptic cabinet members (Howard, Portillo, Peter Lilley) ‘bastards’
3
Describe opposition to the EMU
- Monetarists claimed fixed exchange rates pushed up unemployment by keeping interest rates too high
- All other EU members accepted EMU by 1994
- Britain not seen as fully committed to European project
3
Describe Conservative divisions post-Maastricht
- Both wings could command up to 100 MPs
- EU Ban on British beef exports (1996-2006) due to BSE prompted some to suggest EU exit
- Single currency division
BSE - mad cow disease
2
Describe Conservative views on the single currency
- Some Con MPs campaigned with Lab MPs on euro
- Major promised party the oppurtinity to vote on issue in next parliament
2
Describe Labour views on single currency
- Blair personally supportive. though had committed to potential referendum if entry considered
- Residual agreements within Labour well-hidden during 1997 campaign
2
Describe the rise of new eurosceptic parties
- Alan Sked founded UKIP in 1993 after Maastricht
- Single-issue Referendum Party set up in 1994
3
Describe the special relationship by 1989
- Reagan retirement in 1989 set back relationship
- George Bush held more indirect relationship
- Britain’s natural ally seemed to be Germany (e.g. ERM) rather than USA
3
Describe the weakening of the cold war until 1990
- ‘perestroika’ - restructuring of Russian economy incorporating market reforms
- democratisation through Eastern Europe
- move towards international disarmament
Describe the end of the Cold War
- ‘Year of miracles’ in 1989 - communism collapsed across Eastern Europe
- 1990, Germany reunfiied
- 1991, Soviet Union dissolved
2
Describe the invasion of Kuwait
- Aug 1990, Saddam Hussein’s Iraq invaded Kuwait
- Kuwait held 13% world oil supplies
3
Describe the end of the Gulf War
- UN economic sanctions with withdrawal timeline set
- Massive aerial bombardment of Iraq by Coalition forces quickly demoralised Iraqi forces
- Hussein agrreed to UN demands and withdrew in Feb 1991
Kuwait had been British territory until 1961
2
Describe Britain’s role in the Gulf War
- 45k personnel in Gulf, only 2nd to USA
- Most resolute partner in Amercan-led coalition of France, Italy and several Arab states
3
Describe limits to Britain’s role in the Gulf War
- Personal visit to Hussein by Ted Heath MP in Baghdad
- To secure release of hostages on British Airways Flight 149
- Came to no avail
3
Describe the impact of the Gulf War on Britain
- Major popularity spiked to 61% in May 1991
- Previous support for Iraq in Iran-Iraq War (1980-88) raised questions of British FP morality
- ‘Arms to Iraq’
5
Describe the Background to conflict in the Balkans
- Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic become hardened Serbian nationalist from 1989
- Violent ethnic clashes between Serbs and Croatians
- 1991, prosperous northern republic of Slovenia declared indepdence
- Began break up of Yugoslavia
- April 1992, Milosevic-backed Bosnian-Serb paramilitaries began to violently ethnically cleanse muslim population of eastern Bosnia
4
Describe the British role in the Yugoslav wars
- August 1992, Major hosted UN-EU conference in London
- UN peacekeeping force put in place
- Vance-Owen plan
- Major praised for response, but no coordinated European action
3
Describe the context of the Vance-Owen plan
- Proposed October 1992
- Owen - FS under Callaghan
- Vance - Sec of State under Carter
4
Describe the terms of the Vance-Owen plan
- Ceasefire
- Demilitarisation of parts of Croatia
- Return of refugees
- Set out framework for lasting peace settlement
4
Describe the failure of European diplomacy in the Balkan wars
- Douglas Hurd (FS) had been optimistic Britain could make major contribution to international mediation
- EU and UN diplomacy both failed
- Divisions over whether to maintain multi-ethnic Yugoslavia or control its breakup
- Massacre in Srebrenica
2
Describe the Srebrenica Massacre 1995
- 8k Bosnian muslim boys and men massacred by Serbian paramilitary group
- Dutch UN peacemakers had chosen not to intervene
3
Describe initial US action during the Balkans War
- US remained reluctant to intervene amid growing Serb aggression and despite British pressure
- Bosnian War lasted 3 years
- Sarajevo under constant siege and prolonged blockade
3
Describe the end of the Balkan Wars
- US intervened in late 1995 after Sbrenica Massacre
- Central NATO command essential to forcing Balkan leaders to negotiate
- American air strike on Serb forces led to peace conference in Dec 1995 which guaranteed Bosnian independence protected by UN force
4
Describe the Hong Kong handover
- Takeover by communist China increasingly unwelcome
- Debate over potential open immigration of HK British passport holders
- British Nationality (Hong Kong) Act 1997 - entitled to acquire full British citizenship by making application after handover - dual nationality
- 99yr lease ended in 1997 under Blair
