The British Discourse on Europe 1975: Wilson and the First Referendum

  • John Todd
Chapter
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Abstract

This chapter focuses on the period of the 1975 referendum, providing the basis on which to analyse the changes and continuities in the discourse. This period is of particular interest given Harold Wilson’s gambit of renegotiation then referendum has since been echoed by David Cameron. The chapter gives a useful indication of how the issues were debated during the first referendum, identifying three major themes in the discourse as Economy, Jobs and Trade; Agriculture, Food, and Fisheries; and Sovereignty and Democracy. The anti-Marketeer (i.e. anti-EEC) representations of grave loss of sovereignty and coercion via secret deals in Brussels are employed in similar ways by Eurosceptics today.

Keywords

Referendum Sovereignty Democracy Economy Agriculture and food prices 
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Copyright information

© The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s) 2016

Authors and Affiliations

  • John Todd
    • 1
  1. 1.Department of Criminology and Sociology of Law and ARENA Centre for European StudiesUniversity of OsloOsloNorway

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