ABSTRACT
British economic policy after the Second World War was one of considerable contradictions. The economies of Europe in terms of size, dynamism and population, than was to be found in the Empire and Commonwealth. Britain's strategy towards the Empire and Commonwealth had been one of exporting raw materials. Thus whereas Britain had expected that the Common wealth and Empire would be the main area of economic growth after the Second World War, Britain found itself outside the EEC which proved to be the main area of economic growth. While Macmillan would argue that the deal was evidence that Britain was still able to be an independent nuclear power, the agreement meant that British policy was tainted by the perception that its foreign policy was intertwined with that of America. Yet Britain's economic and political strength relative to that of other European member states meant that it had the ability to exercise influence on European policy developments in the Messina process.
