ABSTRACT
The British Presidency, despite the attempts of Callaghan and Owen to satisfy the French over Commission attendance at the Downing Street summit, had damaged Britain’s reputation in the Community, including in France. The Secretary General at the Foreign Ministry, Jean-Marie Soutou, replied that the Gaullists had never believed that Britain would identify itself with Europe. The familiar irritants persisted, prominent among them continued Labour Party discontent over Direct Elections, and a fraught negotiation between Britain and her EEC partners over reform of the Common Fisheries Policy. Callaghan was familiar with the problem of the level of Britain’s budget contribution. The French President telephoned Callaghan a few days beforehand, after a visit from Schmidt in which he had been briefed on Schmidt’s ideas. Callaghan secured approval from Cabinet for his stance on 6 July, immediately before flying to Bremen for the European Council.
