ABSTRACT
It has been noticeable that since 1945 there has always been a body of proEuropean Conservatives willing to promote the cause of closer European integration. To define them as a group would attribute to them an artificial cohesion and consistency that has not been the case. Importantly these proEuropeans have promoted the cause not because of direction from the party’s leadership, but inspite of it. Since 1997 these Europeanists have been in rapid retreat, with few Conservative politicians prepared to admit to being ‘Europhiles’.1 This chapter will seek to examine the motivations, forums and personalities associated with promoting the Conservative Europeanists’ cause. Furthermore, it will offer an assessment of why these Conservatives have lost the initiative and failed to convince the party’s rump of the benefits of their cause.
