ABSTRACT
Almost all Western European parties of the left have had their problems with the European Community issue and most of the arguments within the Labour Party have been rehearsed in one form or another within such apparent paragons of unity as the German SPD and the French Communist Party. European politics is not federal politics, it is the politics of a European international institution of close partners which has certain specific and unusual features such as a transnational parliament, a court, funds and highly intricate common policies. Assuming that Labour is able to overcome British isolation within Community institutions and if it manages to find a role within the Parliament through alliances in the socialist group, there are a number of things which could be pressed for. If the Community became more sensitive to the regional problem it could provide the impetus to new sorts of investment policy by encouraging co-ordination and more effective regional development programmes.
