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The group was set up in 1961 in response to the failed attempt by Britain to enter the European Economic Community the previous year. Under the chairmanship of Sir Robin Williams (1969 to 1984) the group became a constituent member of the National Referendum Campaign, an umbrella movement associated with The Spectator that included such disparate groups as the British League of Rights, Ron Leighton's Get Britain Out, the Scottish National Party, Plaid Cymru and the United Ulster Unionist Party as well as leading politicians such as Barbara Castle, Michael Foot and Enoch Powell. Following the demise of this broad coalition the ACML continued to operate, being particularly vocal in its criticism of the Common Agricultural Policy and moves towards devolution, whilst campaigning for free trade with the world as a whole rather than just the European Union.
The Labour Euro-Safeguards Campaign (LESC) has had a continuous existence since shortly after the 1975 referendum on whether Britain should stay in the Common Market, which the UK had joined in 1973.
LESC feels strongly that, although their arguments for the UK not remaining a member of the Common Market had not prevailed during the 1975 referendum, they were still fundamentally right. It would not be in Britain's long term interest to be in the organisation which has subsequently morphed over the last forty years from being the Common Market to being the European Economic Community and now the European Union. Whatever benefits the UK has received from UK membership have been swamped by all the disadvantages which have been brought in train.
The LESC has always seen its role to be one of monitoring what is happening, analysing the way trends are developing and influencing opinion within the Labour Party, the wider Labour Movement and beyond towards our point of view.
"Conservatives Against a Federal Europe was the largest grass-roots campaigning group within the Conservative Party. Its objectives are straightforward. It exists to support every Conservative Member of Parliament who subscribes to the following six points...and to try to persuade every other Member of the merits of these aims..." A very euro (and EMU)- sceptic phoenix arising from the ashes of the previous Tory government.
"Conservatives Against a Federal Europe is the largest grass-roots campaigning group within the Conservative Party. Its objectives are straightforward. It exists to support every Conservative Member of Parliament who subscribes to the following six points...and to try to persuade every other Member of the merits of these aims..." A very euro (and EMU)-sceptic phoenix arising from the ashes of the previous Tory government.
The European Anti-Maastricht Alliance (TEAM) is an organisation working for a Europe of cooperating democratic nation and against a federal Europe as implied in the Maastricht Treaty of the European Union. TEAM is an Europe wide network with organisations in countries both inside and outside the European Union. Europe is not just the European Union, the policies of the European Union affect all the countries in Europe and around the world. TEAM aims to reflect this fact, in our membership, our outlook and our aims.
Copyright © 2011 Campaign for an Independent Britain, All Rights Reserved. - Member Login