Conclusions

Abstract

This chapter presents the book’s conclusions. These include the limits of the orthodox motifs of British ‘decline’ and New Zealand ‘independence’. As a case study, continued Anglo-New Zealand collaboration in the context of European integration does not fit these narratives. This is explained by historical institutionalism and continued efforts by political and economic elites in both metropole and periphery to maintain the relevance of the relationship, even as market forces worked in other directions. A further factor encouraging Anglo-New Zealand collaboration was the structure of agreements made between the New Zealand and British Governments, and between Britain and the European Community. The Cold War also acted as a centrifugal force, encouraging Britain to seek New Zealand help, particularly in the South Pacific and Southeast Asia. The economic shocks of the 1970s were a further inducement to collaborate, particularly as New Zealand remained a relatively cheap supplier of food and advocate for liberalised agricultural trade. The chapter also explains why the ‘shock and abandonment’ narrative has remained dominant in public memory, despite historical evidence to the contrary.