EUROPEAN POLITICAL UNION (Hansard, 17 July 1962)

§ Q2. Mr. Turton
asked the Prime Minister what communication he has received from the President of France or the Chancellor of the West German Republic acquainting him of their decision to hold early discussions on the creation of a European political union; and what reply he has sent.

§ The Prime Minister
We have been given a full account by the French and 227 German Governments of the conclusions reached in the talks between President de Gaulle and Dr. Adenauer, including their decision to propose a meeting of the Six Heads of Government later this year.

§ Mr. Turton
Is it not an odd way of treating us in the course of the negotiations? Will my right hon. Friend make it quite plain to the Chancellor and to the President that Britain, whatever might be the outcome of the negotiations on the Common Market, will not contemplate entering into a European political union?

§ The Prime Minister
No, Sir. I think that this is perfectly correct. We are discussing the question of entering into the Common Market. My right hon. Friend knows that there is no reason why the Governments of the Community should not also discuss political questions, and they are keeping us fully informed of what they are doing.

§ Mr. Gaitskell
What we are concerned with, and what the right hon. Member for Thirsk and Malton (Mr. Turton) is concerned with, is the attitude of Her Majesty's Government at this time to any question of our entering into a political union in Europe. I should like to ask the Prime Minister to clarify the position. Will he confirm that Her Majesty's Government have no intention of accepting, prior to any possible entry into the Common Market, any commitment whatever towards political union in Europe other than that involved in the general statement in the Preamble to the Treaty of Rome?

§ The Prime Minister
I think that that does not possibly arise. Until we have completed negotiations with the Common Market, this does not arise. But what the other Governments do we cannot prevent them doing. They have a right to do it. What they do is, with great courtesy, to keep us informed of their discussions.

§ Mr. Gaitskell
Is it not the case that Her Majesty's Government have asked that they should take part in these political negotiations? If that is the case, should not the Prime Minister clarify the attitude of the Government in any such negotiations? May I repeat the question that I put to him? Will he 228 confirm that Her Majesty's Government have no intention of entering into any commitment of a political character other than that involved in the Preamble to the Treaty of Rome, before any possible entry by Britain into the Common Market?

§ The Prime Minister
That would be quite impossible, because these negotiations are not taking place at the same time and will probably not even reach any further stage until later in the year. What we have asked is to be fully informed and formally consulted about what they may be doing, but that is a separate problem from that of the Community which we are now discussing.

§ Mr. Longden
May I take this opportunity first to congratulate my right hon. Friend on having kept his head while all about him were losing theirs— [Laughter.]

§ Mr. Speaker
Order. The House enjoys its hilarities but it also enjoys getting through some Questions, and we cannot do both at the same time.

§ Mr. Longden
—and blaming it on him. Secondly, may I ask my right hon. Friend whether he will agree that, whether or not this country enters the Common Market, it can only be a good thing for the Continent of Western Europe and the whole of the free world if Western Europe integrates politically as strongly and as much as possible?

§ The Prime Minister
With regard to the first part, those are rather morbid allusions. With regard to the second part, the phrases "political union" and "political combination" are very vague. We have to see what we have to consider and then we can make up our minds. What we are doing is to negotiate for the Common Market. When we see what happens there we can see whether there is any further degree of co-operation at which we wish to aim.

§ Mr. Grimond
May I in turn congratulate the Prime Minister on the first demonstration of support that he has received from his back benches? Is not the night hon. Gentleman being rather disingenuous about this matter? Is not he aware that every Continental refers to the Common Market as being as much a political as an economic movement? 229 Is it not time that the people of this country ware told whether the Government accept that if we go into the Common Market it has great political implications and is a step towards the political] unity of Europe which cannot be avoided?

§ The Prime Minister
At the risk of creating disunion among the crowded back benches of the right hon. Gentleman, I say that from the first study of the discussions that we have had here it has always been clear that there were political implications in the unity of Europe through the Common Market, but we would have to judge how far we could take it step by step.

§ Sir G. Nicholson
Is not the Leader of the Opposition under a complete delusion in thinking that any British Government can enter into any commitment without the consent of Parliament?

Mr. H. Wilson
With regard to my right hon. Friend's two Questions, is the Prime Minister aware that he is no longer in a position to go on fluffing and evading this issue, and that it is of paramount importance that we know now What has been said in Brussels on behalf of Her Majesty's Government? Since it is clear that those who are negotiating with us think that Britain recognises that to sign the Treaty of Rome involves a federal commitment, will the right hon. Gentleman now make it crystal clear that all we have been negotiating about is the Treaty of Rome, and that we are looking at that on its merits, in economic and similar terms, and that if we go in on economic terms we are not in any way committed to further progress towards a federal set-up in Europe? Will the right hon. Gentle-roan make that clear?

§ The Prime Minister
I think that it was made abundantly clear by the Head of the French Government, who is strongly opposed to any federal solution.