ABSTRACT
From the very early stages of the United Kingdom's bid for EEC membership, it was recognized that the old Dominions of the Commonwealth would play a crucial role. The extensive historical, political and economic bonds which tied Britain to the Commonwealth ensured that any attempt to join the European Community would be extremely problematic. Indeed the Commonwealth had been one of the most important factors in Britain's earlier decision to withdraw from the Common Market negotiations in 1956. 1 The Commonwealth connection carried a strong emotive appeal within the ruling Conservative Party and public opinion, and had the potential to create insurmountable obstacles to Britain's European goals. For this reason, the government of Harold Macmillan was anxious to obtain the acquiescence, if not the co-operation, of Commonwealth countries in its negotiations with the Six. The old Dominions assumed particular importance in this regard, because of their position of leadership as members of the 'old Commonwealth'. However, although the United Kingdom was largely successful in keeping Commonwealth objections to a manageable level, this was only achieved at the expense of engendering considerable suspicion and mistrust. Despite frequent British assertions that there was no question of a 'choice' between the Commonwealth and Europe, the events surrounding Britain's EEC application contributed significantly to the drastic weakening of the Commonwealth as an effective political and economic association.
