Basic HTML Version
Wido W01ld
British Prime Minister Edward
Heath leaves No. 1O Downing
Street to ottend the final House
of Commons debate on Britoin's
entry into the Common Market.
On Her Way to the
Common Market
On October
28th , Parliament voted to enter the
Common
Market . Will Britain
go
all the way to
become a
lull-fledged
member?
11
so,
will Britain stay in? Only time will tell.
Whate ver the final British decision, it will proloundly alter
the world power structure.
by
Raymond McN a ir
London, England
T
HE
BRITISH PARLI.AMENT'S deci–
sion to enter the Common Mar–
ket is one of the most important
decisions it has made.
If
carried
through, it will profoundly alter the
British nation and make Europe the
most powerful trading bloc in the
world.
An Historie Resolution
lt
was the privilege of the writer to
hear the pros and cons of the important
Parliamentary debate sorne weeks ago.
At the conclusion of the six-day de–
bate, it was announced in the House of
Commons that Parliament had voted in
favor of British entry. There was im–
mediate jubilation on the part of those
wanting entry, 356 to 244.
But Britain, of course, is not yet in.
A long year of discussion on new legis–
lation must pass before Britain can fully
clear herself for entry. There is also a
further equally important question as to
whether Britain will
stay
io tbe EEC.
For example, if Britain takes the
final plunge ihtó the Common Market,
will
it
be possible for her to withdraw
from the EEC should she ever become
dissatisfied with her membership in that
club? This was one of the many points
passionately argued in Pa.rliament dur–
ing the recent debate.
Before the Parliamentary vote in fa–
vor of British entry, . I put the above
question to Prime Minister Heath. "Mr.
Prime Minister," I asked, "let's assume
that Britain becomes a full-fledged
member of the Common Market. Is
there any provision in the Treaty of
Rome - or otherwise - whereby Brit–
ain can opt out of the EEC legally,
should she become unhappy with her
Common Market ties - either
in
the
economic, política! or military spheres?
Mr. Heath's answer : "No, there is no
provision for that ... I don't think you
will expect countries to come together,
and work together, integrate so much of
their activity for their own good, and
then say it's possible to disentangle
this . . . for a country just to say, 'Right,
I'm going to leave,' because you have
had a change of government or some–
thing like that.
lt is not possible."
The Opposition View
But Harold Wllson, leader of the op–
position, takes a totally different view.
During the recent Parliamentary debate
he made the following significant
points:
"As is well known,
one Parliament
cannot bind its mccessor.
On the other
hand, we recognize what is involved in
a treaty signature. What we should
do ... would be immediately to give