BRITISH POLITICS: (x58)

BRITISH POLITICS: Michael Foot (1913-2010) British politician who served as Leader of the Labour Party 1980-83 and was an ardent campaigner of British withdrawal from the European Economic Community (EEC). An interesting T.L.S., Michael Foot, one page, 4to, London, 26th July 1978, to Mr. A. N. Taylor, on the printed stationery of the House of Commons. Foot thanks his correspondent for their letter and continues to explain 'It was Mr. Heath, as Prime Minister, on 1st January 1973 that signed the Treaty which took this country into the European Economic Community. The matter had been debated in Parliament prior to this, but not to the extent which some of us would have liked and this is partly the reason why, when Labour was returned in 1974, the Government held the Referendum so that the final decision was in fact the choice of the British people'. A letter of good content regarding the United Kingdom and European referendums. Together with a selection of A.Ls.S. and T.Ls.S. by various British politicians of the 20th century, each of them Cabinet ministers, including George Lansbury, 2nd Earl of Selborne, Alfred Lyttelton, Arthur Ponsonby, Walter Runciman (in part, 'It was well worth entering the Brotherhood of Trinity House if only to hear of your approval. There are still one or two traditions preserved beyond vulgarity, and Trinity House stands almost alone', 1936), Philip Snowden (2; in one stating, in part, '….there is not yet that sense of community of interest among nations which has been developed among individuals composing a State through the long ages…..But I cannot help feeling that Pacts of Security with guarantees of help are at present rather dangerous things, and are liable to be an encouragement to States to provoke conflicts. It is always so difficult to define an aggressor. The late war was in a very large measure due to the alliances and understandings of the Allied Powers. I think you are right that a State which had no sinister aims would be likely to make a voluntary reduction of armaments if its security were guaranteed by international support', 1932), Edward Stanley, 6th Marquess of Londonderry, Viscount Alverstone, Patrick Gordon Walker, Viscount Stonehaven (discussing his correspondent's draft resolution and commenting '….as a matter of practical politics I am afraid the effect of the discussion which would arise out of it would be more likely to stimulate the activities of the Socialists than to create a corresponding drive among our people. There is, moreover, the general consideration which has to be taken into account, namely that the dispersal of the anti-Socialist financial resources would be further encouraged, and that it is already one of the outstanding weaknesses under which we suffer as compared with the Socialists. If all anti-Socialists could be persuaded to support financially and in other ways the Conservative Organisation up and down the country we should be in a much stronger position, but I am afraid that result would not be achieved by your proposed resolution, and, therefore, I am strongly of the opinion that it would be wiser to refrain from moving it', 1935), Clement Anderson Montague-Barlow, 1st Viscount Bridgeman (2), Baron Balfour of Burleigh, John Burns, 1st Baron Noel-Buxton, Robert Cecil (Nobel Peace prize winner, 1937), Joseph Chamberlain (2), Aretas Akers-Douglas, 5th Duke of Sutherland, Gordon Hewart, W. Joynson Hicks (regarding technical and legal difficulties with the Isle of Man Church Assembly Bill, 1924), Douglas Hogg Edward Boyle, Henry Brooke, George Brown (regarding a possible Council of Europe Convention on the extra-territorial application of anti-trust legislation, 1967), John Boyd-Carpenter, David Eccles (2), Frederick Erroll, Hugh Gaitskell, Charles Hill (2), Lord Glendevon, Keith Joseph, Alan Lennox Boyd, Derick Heathcoat-Amory, Alfred Robens, Geoffrey Ripon, J. Enoch Powell, John Profumo, Hugh Molson, Reginald Maudling, Ernest Marples, Iain Macleod, Selwyn Lloyd etc. G to generally VG, 58

Edward Heath (1916-2005) British Prime Minister 1970-74. Heath's most prominent political achievement came when he led the United Kingdom into membership of the European Communities (later becoming the European Union) as a member state on 1st January 1973. Heath would go on to play a leading role in the 1975 referendum campaign in which the United Kingdom voted to remain as part of the EEC. Michael Foot was one of the mainstays of the 'no' campaign in the 1975 referendum on British membership of the European Communities.