ABSTRACT
This chapter explains why Neil Kinnock changed his view and Labour's policy on Europe. It argues that Kinnock's moves were first motivated by pure electoral pragmatism, but as time wore on, Kinnock came to regard the European Economic Community (EEC) as a partner, rather than a foe, in the delivery of socialism in Britain, albeit of a more limited variety than previous Labour governments. In the 1970s and early 1980s, Kinnock produced numerous speeches and articles on Common Market membership. In all of these interventions, Kinnock voiced a strongly Eurosceptic line. His criticisms were rooted in two main objections, consistent with many of those on the left who opposed EEC membership at the time: socialist economics and democratic sovereignty. The New Statesman, in its first editorial after the election, pointed the finger at the withdrawal policy as evidence of how out of touch Labour had become with the electorate, who overwhelmingly favoured staying in the EEC.
