My ‘1968’

This emphasises the richness of late-1960s leftist activity; author’s reaction to the twin shocks of 1956 (Suez and Hungary) into opposition to both Western and Stalinist imperialisms; dynamics of the “International Socialist” group. On fringes of struggles at LSE; their impact. Servicing others’ struggles; full employment from 1940s allowed shopfloor momentum: ‘DIY reformism’; example: Manchester’s Roberts-Arundel struggle. GLC tenants’ movement from 1967. Arguing with pro-Enoch Powell dockers, April 1968. Differentiated solidarity with French ‘events’. August: sudden Soviet re-possession of Czechoslovakia: divergent motives on solidarity-demo. Position on Vietnam struggle; much hysteria on all sides before and during London’s Vietnam demo of 27th October. Factual and methodological convolutions of blaming the ‘1960s’ for neoliberalism.

Good Result or Bad Deal?

Poised to begin negotiations for EEC accession, Prime Minister Wilson called a snap general election and lost to Edward Heath’s Conservative Party. Heath was a life-long pro-European but there were opponents of EEC entry, led by the disgraced rebel, Enoch Powell, within Tory ranks. The Conservatives adopted the Labour government’s accession strategy. But, out of government, the Labour Party turned against membership. Pro-EEC Labour rebels, led by former Chancellor of the Exchequer Roy Jenkins, voted with Heath to secure parliamentary approval for accession. To prevent the Labour Party voting to take the UK out of the EEC, Wilson promised that he would renegotiate the terms agreed by Heath and put them to the electorate. The EEC countries, especially France, struck a hard deal with the UK and Heath was obliged to accept disadvantageous terms for UK accession.