1976 - The Right Honourable George Thomson - Britain in Europe: The First Four Years and the Future

In this lecture the Right Honourable George Thomson discussed the experience of Britain in joining the European Community. He noted how some of the more dire predictions, such as a flood of immigrants, had not transpired. He hoped that Britain could move from looking at whether the EC is 'good' or 'bad' to a position where the question is how Britain can play a part in the successful development of the community. He noted the many successes so far – the importance of Franco-German reconciliation, the lack of strategic protectionism in times of recession, the successes of the EC in foreign relations with the United States and Japan, the partnerships between the EC and developing countries and the creation of the EC’s Regional Development Fund. He warned that if national attitudes are allowed to hold sway in Europe, the economic future of the world will be determined by either the United States or Japan with Europe on the sidelines.