Gransnet forums

News & politics

Just out of interest...

(12 Posts)
mrsmopp Fri 01-Nov-19 18:22:38

What would Churchill have done?
Leave or Remain?

HootyMcOwlface Fri 01-Nov-19 18:24:13

Remain, obviously! His vision was a united Europe!

Calendargirl Fri 01-Nov-19 18:31:11

What about Margaret Thatcher?

Leave, I think.

MaizieD Fri 01-Nov-19 18:48:29

Margaret Thatcher was active in the Remain campaign in 1975. She and her advisers were the prime movers in founding the Single Market. Much as I disliked her I know that she wouldn't be so stupid as to vote to pull her country out of the institution she did so much to shape, with the knowledge that doing so would be economically damaging to the UK.

Ilovecheese Fri 01-Nov-19 19:01:52

Yes, MaizieD As I remember, Mrs Thatcher was pro Europe.

Callistemon Fri 01-Nov-19 20:09:37

Harold MacMillan whose application for membership was vetoed by de Gaulle so many times!
Edward Heath
Roy Jenkins
Margaret Thatcher
Neil Kinnock
John Major (who famously called the Eurosceptics "bastards")

Against EEC/EU
Tony Benn (disliked but accepted the result of the first referendum)
Hugh Gaitskill
Peter Shore
Enoch Powell

Blair and Brown were pro-Europe but anti the euro (possibly just as well)

Callistemon Fri 01-Nov-19 20:10:07

and many more that I can't remember

Calendargirl Sun 03-Nov-19 12:35:49

According to the final part of Margaret Thatcher’s authorised biography, she wanted Britain to leave the EU, despite claims she would have voted Remain.

Once she had left Number 10, she said that the UK would be “better off outside” the EU.

MaizieD Sun 03-Nov-19 12:39:40

Any reason given for her statement, Calendargirl?

Labaik Sun 03-Nov-19 12:50:08

If that's the case why is Michael Heseltine putting so much effort into the Peoples Vote campaign?

Calendargirl Sun 03-Nov-19 13:05:56

It seems her views changed when she started in government. She felt the European single currency was trying to create a ‘super state’
The best answer was for us to be a kind of free-trade and non-interventionist ‘Singapore’ off Europe, seeking contract and understanding with the growth areas of the world.

MaizieD Sun 03-Nov-19 13:12:24

It seems her views changed when she started in government.

That doesn't exactly tally with her major role in the founding of the Single Market while she was in government.

But I wonder if that's why the Ultras/ERG are so keen on the Singapore on Thames idea? She was bent on destroying industry and making the UK a world centre for financial services. Perhaps they see themselves as fulfilling her dream..

Doesn't sound very comfortable for the rest of us, though..