The British Foreign Office and Domestic Propaganda on the European Community, 1960–72

Abstract

In the 1960s and early 1970s, Britain's Foreign Office (FO) succeeded in becoming Whitehall's leading department on European Community (EC) publicity at home. By the time Edward Heath became Prime Minister in 1970, the FO was set to contribute significantly to his Government's domestic campaign for EC entry. This operation was crucial: public opposition to entry fell sufficiently for MPs to feel confident about voting in favour; the campaign also offered some hope that public dissent might be overcome in future debates. Previously, under the Macmillan and Wilson premierships, the FO had a lesser role in home publicity on the EC, but did establish itself as a recognised participant. Thus, the period 1960–72 saw a decisive change in which the FO acquired an important role in a policy area previously run chiefly by ‘home’ departments. This article focuses on the FO's contribution, though also considers the roles of other departments and the three Prime Ministers, and the constitutional controversies involved.

Keywords:

• Foreign Office
• European Community
• Public Opinion
• Macmillan
• Wilson
• Heath

Acknowledgements

I am very grateful to the following people and institutions for their assistance and permission to use archives: Bodleian Library Oxford (Lord George-Brown Papers), Churchill Archives Centre Cambridge (Diplomatic Oral History Programme, Lord Gladwyn Papers and Michael Wolff Papers), Conservative Party (Michael Wolff Papers), the second Baron Gladwyn (Lord Gladwyn Papers) and The National Archives (Government Records).

Notes

  [1] The term European Community (EC) is used in this article, as ‘European Union’ did not become prevalent until the 1990s. Some quotes also refer to the ‘EEC’ or ‘Common Market’. In 1968, the FO became the FCO; in this article, ‘Foreign Office’ is used for consistency.

  [2] Buller and Smith, ‘Civil Service’, 169–84; Bulmer and Burch, ‘Organising for Europe’; Edwards, ‘Central Government’; Jenkins and Sloman, With Respect, 85–97, 135–9; Lord, British Entry, 64; , ‘Harold Wilson’, 20, 50, 57, and ‘Gone Native’; Wallace, National Governments, 39–43, and ‘Domestic Policy-Making’, 101–2, 106–7.

  [3] Evans, While Britain Slept, 98; Ludlow, ‘Waning Force’; Wallace, National Governments, 91.

  [4] Literature on this is vast; see, e.g., Kaiser, Using Europe, 150, 208–9; Lieber, British Politics, 235; Slater, ‘Political Elites’, 707–8; Spence, ‘Movements’. For other sources see Gliddon, ‘Programmes’, 404.

  [5] Campbell, ‘From Carbon Paper’, 168–9; Johnson, ‘Foreign Office’, 3–4.

  [6] On Macmillan, see Beloff, The General; Camps, Britain and the European Community, 274–519; Deighton and Ludlow, ‘Conditional Application’; Horne, Macmillan 1957–86, 256–62, 352–9, 445–51; Milward, The UK and The European Community; Kisch, Private Life, 163–5; Ramsden, Winds of Change, 152–4, 170–1; Tratt, Macmillan Government; Young, Blessed Plot, 112–45. On Wilson, see Deighton, ‘Second British Application’, and ‘Labour Party’; Morgan, Harold Wilson, 295–7, 396–7; , ‘Harold Wilson’, and Parr's other work cited below; Parr and Pine, ‘Policy towards the European Economic Community’; Pimlott, Harold Wilson, 397–8, 432–42; Pine, ‘Application’; Ponting, Breach Of Promise, 204–14; Wallace, ‘Domestic Policy-Making’; Young, Blessed Plot, 181–209; Ziegler, Wilson, 331–8.

  [7] Deighton and Ludlow, ‘Conditional Application’, 111–2; Tratt, Macmillan Government, 18–9, 102, 190, 196.

  [8] Catterall, ‘Ironies’, 250; Deighton, ‘Labour Party’, 40, and ‘Second British Application’, 398.

  [9] For early studies covering campaigning and public opinion on Europe under Heath see Evans, While Britain Slept; Kitzinger, Diplomacy; Lord, British Entry, 64, 118–23. For later research see Gliddon, ‘Programmes’; Lashmar and Oliver, Britain's Secret Propaganda, 145–51. Most of these sources cover FO units, as do Smith, ‘Covert British Propaganda’, and Wallace, ‘Domestic Policy-Making’, 208. For the Heath Government and Europe generally see Campbell, Edward Heath, 352–63, 396–405; Ramsden, Winds of Change, 335–8; Young, ‘Heath Government’, 259–84. Mullen and Burkitt, Spinning concisely reviews EC propaganda under Macmillan, Wilson and Heath.

 [10] Lashmar and Oliver, Britain's Secret Propaganda, 145–51; A Letter (BBC).

 [11] Mullen and Burkitt, Spinning, 8, 11.

 [12] The European Movement was also known at various times as the UK Council of the European Movement (UKCEM) and the British Council of the European Movement (BCEM).

 [13] Ellison, Threatening Europe, 228–9; Kaiser, Using Europe, 106–7, 124–5; Young, Blessed Plot, 176–8.

 [14] Beloff, The General, 89; Wallace, ‘Domestic Policy-Making’, 201–4; Camps, Britain and the European Community, 280–2; Evans, While Britain Slept, 87–8; Kaiser, Using Europe, 109, 124–5; Tratt, Macmillan Government, 118–9, 182; Young, ‘British Officials’, 98–100.

 [15] The National Archives Kew (hereafter NA): CAB 128/35, CC (61) 42, 21 July 1961; INF 12/950, ‘Minister without Portfolio's Official Group on Common Market Publicity: Minutes of Meeting’, 31 January 1963. The EC's Council of Ministers had adopted the CAP's main principles in 1960.

 [16] Deighton and Ludlow, ‘Conditional Application’, 107; Wallace, ‘Domestic Policy-Making’, 153; Macmillan, At The End, 17–8; Milward, The UK and The European Community, 326–7.

 [17] NA: T 245/23, ‘Note of a Meeting to Discuss Publicity Regarding the U.K. Attitude to the Treaty of Rome’, 1 May 1961; ‘Note of a Meeting of the Working Group on Information Aspects of the Common Market Question’, 19 June 1961; ‘The Economic Situation and the Common Market: Publicity’ (Memorandum by Treasury Information Department), 13 July 1961.

 [18] NA: T 245/24, Raphael to Cowen and Lucas, 30 November 1961; Lucas to Raphael, 8 December 1961; T 245/25, Wiggin to Raphael, 28 February 1962.

 [19] Deedes, Deedes Reports, 150, 154–5.

 [20] NA: INF 12/852, Fell to Director-General of COI, 10 July 1962.

 [21] NA: INF 12/950, ‘Common Market Publicity’ (Treasury Memorandum), 24 September 1962.

 [22] Churchill Archives Centre Cambridge (hereafter CAC): Lord Gladwyn Papers (hereafter GP) GLAD 1/3/9, Gladwyn to Netherthorpe, 30 March 1962.

 [23] NA: T 245/28, Mayes to Shepherd, October 1962.

 [24] NA: T 245/28, Mayes to Shepherd, October 1962

 [25] NA: T 245/28, Raphael to Clift, 6 September 1962.

 [26] UKCEM, Britain and the Common Market.

 [27] NA: INF 12/950, ‘Minutes of Working Group on Common Market Publicity’, 28 November 1962.

 [28] NA: T 245/28, ‘Common Market Publicity: Action by IDT arising from Meeting with Minister without Portfolio’, 24 September 1962; ‘Common Market Publicity: Action by Treasury Information Division arising from Meeting with the Minister without Portfolio’, 24 September 1962 (these are two separate memoranda); ‘Common Market Work Next Year’ (Treasury Memorandum), 6 December 1962; INF 12/950, ‘The Minister Without Portfolio's Official Group on Common Market Publicity’, 17 October 1962; Macmillan to Bicknell, 18 October 1962; ‘Printed Information Material about Britain and the European Communities: Progress Report’, 11 January 1963. See also Deedes, Deedes reports, 155.

 [29] NA: T 245/28, ‘Common Market Publicity: Action by IDT arising from Meeting with Minister without Portfolio’, 24 September 1962.

 [30] NA: T 245/28, Mayes to Cowen, 6 December 1962.

 [31] NA: T 245/28, ‘Common Market Work Next Year’ (Treasury Memorandum), 6 December 1962; INF 12/950, ‘Printed Information Material about Britain and the European Communities: Progress Report’, 11 January 1963; ‘Minister without Portfolio's Official Group on Common Market Publicity: Minutes of Meeting’, 31 January 1963. See also Kisch, Private Life, 163–4; Mullen and Burkitt, Spinning, 8.

 [32] Deedes, Deedes Reports, 155.

 [33] Treasury/COI, Britain and the European Communities.

 [34] NA: INF 12/950, ‘Minutes of Working Group on Common Market Publicity’, 28 November 1962.

 [35] Lashmar and Oliver, Britain's Secret Propaganda, 127–8, 137–43, 146; Smith, ‘Covert British Propaganda’, 67–9.

 [36] Deedes, Deedes reports, 150.

 [37] Ellison, ‘Separated by the Atlantic’, 863–6; Parr, ‘Britain, America, East of Suez and the EEC’, 403–21; Young, Labour Governments, 142–8.

 [38] NA: FCO 26/83, ‘Record of Conversation: Britain and Europe Publicity’, 5 April 1967; Rodgers to Mulley, 5 April 1967; Rodgers to Brown, 6 April 1967; Samuel to Littlejohn Cook, 6 April 1967; Littlejohn Cook to O'Neill, 26 April 1967; FCO 26/84, Groves to Littlejohn Cook, 13 June 1967.

 [39] NA: FCO 26/104, Hancock to Gore-Booth, 22 April 1968, and comment added by Morland.

 [40] NA: FCO 26/84, Gore-Booth to Trend, 23 October 1967; EW 5/24, ‘Common Market Publicity’ (FO memorandum), 3 January 1968; Gore-Booth, With Great Truth, 350.

 [41] NA: EW 5/24, Gore-Booth to Trend, 16 January 1968.

 [42] NA: EW 5/24, ‘Common Market Publicity’ (FO memorandum), 3 January 1968.

 [43] NA: FCO 26/84, Hancock to Littlejohn Cook, 20 September 1967; Goodchild to Littlejohn Cook, 22 September 1967; EW 5/24, Currall to Fitchew, 12 February 1968.

 [44] NA: FCO 26/84, Goodchild to Littlejohn Cook, 22 September 1967.

 [45] NA: EW 5/24, Gore-Booth to Trend, 16 January 1968.

 [46] NA: EW5/24, ‘Common Market Publicity’ (FO memorandum), 3 January 1968.

 [47] NA: EW5/24, ‘Common Market Publicity’ (FO memorandum), 3 January 1968

 [48] NA: EW 5/24, Groves to Jenkyns, 7 February 1968; Jenkyns to Fitchew, 8 February 1968.

 [49] NA: INF 159/1967, ‘European Publicity Campaign’, 24 July 1967; FCO 26/104, CEIP Sub-group Minutes, 4 April 1968.

 [50] NA: EW 5/24, CEIP Minutes, 13 February 1968; FCO 26/104, CEIP Sub-group Minutes, 4 April 1968.

 [51] NA: CAB 164/391, Memorandum by Lloyd-Hughes, 21 October 1969; Brimelow to McIntosh, 27 October 1969; CAB 165/863, ‘Official Committee on the Approach to Europe: Sub-committee on European Information Policy’ (Note by the Secretary of the Cabinet), 8 December 1969.

 [52] NA: FCO 26/563, Memorandum by Ford, June 1970.

 [53] NA: INF 159/1967, HIPEC Minutes, 27 July 1967; FCO 26/84, Gore-Booth to Trend, 23 October 1967; FCO 26/104, CEIP Sub-group Minutes, 4 April 1968.

 [54] NA: INF 159/1967, ‘European Publicity Campaign’, 24 July 1967.

 [55] See note 8.

 [56] NA: FCO 26/83, Littlejohn Cook to Information Officers abroad, 7 December 1966.

 [57] NA: PREM 13/1486, ‘Record of a Meeting between the Prime Minister and the Chancellor of the German Federal Republic’, 23 October 1967.

 [58] NA: PREM 13/1486, ‘Record of a Meeting between the Prime Minister and the Chancellor of the German Federal Republic’, 23 October 1967

 [59] NA: PREM 13/1486, ‘Record of a Meeting between the Prime Minister and the Chancellor of the German Federal Republic’, 23 October 1967, Wilson gave the impression that he spoke for all ministers, but in fact some disagreed with Wilson's assertions about the alternatives.

 [60] NA: PREM 13/1474, ‘Note of a Meeting between the Prime Minister and representatives of the Confederation of British Industry’, 4 July 1967.

 [61] NA: PREM 13/1474, ‘Note of a Meeting between the Prime Minister and representatives of the Confederation of British Industry’, 4 July 1967

 [62] Parr, ‘Britain, America, East of Suez and the EEC’, 408–12; Parr and Pine, ‘Policy towards the European Economic Community’, 117–8. Some analyses suggested that Britain's economic prospects inside the EC would be at best, doubtful and unpredictable, and at worst dismal. See Tomlinson, Labour Governments, 41–2; Young, Blessed Plot, 208–9; Young, Labour Governments, 144. There is also abundant material on this in NA: CAB 129/129, C (67) 52, 14 April 1967 and C (67) 61, 25 April 1967; CAB 128/42, CC 25 (67), 30 April 1967 and CC 26 (67), 1 May 1967; EW5/30, economic analyses, 1967.

 [63] Wilson, Labour Government, 388.

 [64] Parr, Britain's Policy, 8–9; Parr and Pine, ‘Policy towards the European Economic Community’, 121, 124–6.

 [65] CAC: GP GLAD 1/3/20, ‘Record of Conversation with The Rt. Hon. F. Mulley’, 12 January 1967.

 [66] Parr and Pine, ‘Policy towards the European Economic Community’, 119; Young, Labour Governments, 151.

 [67] Deighton, ‘Second British Application’, 404; Wallace, ‘Domestic Policy-Making’, 182.

 [68] NA: EW 5/24, ‘Common Market Publicity’ (FO memorandum), 3 January 1968; CEIP Minutes, 13 February 1968; FCO 26/104, CEIP Sub-group Minutes, 4 April 1968.

 [69] Parr and Pine, ‘Policy towards the European Economic Community’, 127.

 [70] Crossman, The Diaries of a Cabinet Minister, 718.

 [71] Crossman, The Diaries of a Cabinet Minister, 719.

 [72] Parliamentary Debates (Hansard) 5th Series (hereafter PDH): Vol. 793, Cols. 1740–68, 19 December 1969; Vol. 832, Cols. 1017–18 and W222–4, 6 March 1972; Vol. 841, Cols. W25–6, 17 July 1972.

 [73] BIE sought £20,000 from the FO and another £20,000 from HIPEC. NA: CAB 164/468, Gladwyn to Wilson, 18 October 1967; Dawe to Nield, 20 October 1967; FCO 26/104, ‘Britain In Europe Limited’ (FO memorandum, April 1968).

 [74] NA: CAB 164/468, Gladwyn to Wilson, 18 October 1967; Goodchild to Hancock, 25 October 1967; EW 5/24, Rhodes to Jenkyns, 9 February 1968.

 [75] NA: CAB 164/468, Nield to Dawe, 25 October 1967.

 [76] NA: CAB 164/468, Nield to Dawe, 25 October 1967

 [77] NA: CAB 164/468, Wilson to Gladwyn, 30 October 1967.

 [78] NA: EW 5/24, CEIP Minutes, 13 February 1968; the same comments appear in Ashford to Rhodes, 21 February 1968.

 [79] NA: EW 5/24, CEIP Minutes, 13 February 1968.

 [80] NA: EW 5/24, Rhodes to Jenkyns, 9 February 1968, comments added by Jenkyns.

 [81] NA: FCO 26/104, Hancock to Morland, 14 February 1968; ‘Britain In Europe Limited’ (FO memorandum, April 1968).

 [82] Evans, While Britain Slept, 109; Kitzinger, Diplomacy, 193. The FO put the figure at ‘cash and promises’ worth £450,000 in 1970 (NA: FCO 26/550, Petrie to Ford, 17 August 1970).

 [83] Bodleian Library Oxford: Lord George-Brown Papers MS.Eng.c.5095, Wistrich to Brown, 4 February 1969. See also Wallace, ‘Domestic Policy-Making’, 295–6.

 [84] See Pine, ‘Application’, and NA: PREM 13/2876, ‘Prime Minister was invited to become patron of the European Movement: he accepted’, 24 July to 12 September 1969.

 [85] Kitzinger, Diplomacy, 276; Pine, ‘Application’, 287; Young, Labour Governments, 159.

 [86] Until 1969, the European Integration Department was called the European Economic Integration Department. See O'Neill, Britain's Entry, 42–3, and NA: FCO 30/3075, ‘The European Communities Information Unit (ECIU)’, an FO memorandum of 9 January 1975.

 [87] NA: FCO 26/811, Reddaway to Adams, 2 June 1971. See also Gliddon, ‘Programmes’, 406, 409, 414–5; Hugh-Jones, From Diplomacy, 406–40; Lashmar and Oliver, Britain's Secret Propaganda, 146; A Letter (BBC).

 [88] NA: CAB 128/47, CM (70) 45, 10 December 1970. See also Young, Blessed Plot, 225.

 [89] NA: FCO 26/563, Ford to Palliser, 24 August 1970.

 [90] Evans, While Britain Slept, 102; Kitzinger, Diplomacy, 155–7.

 [91] Researchers have begun to shed light on some of these activities, especially ‘media breakfasts’ and relations with broadcasters. See Gliddon, ‘Programmes’; Kitzinger, Diplomacy, 204–5, 334–5; Lashmar and Oliver, Britain's Secret Propaganda, 145–9.

 [92] NA: INF 12/1147, Kelly to Fleming, 30 July 1970.

 [93] NA: INF 12/1147, Kelly to Fleming, 30 July 1970; FCO 26/563, Ford to O'Neill, 6 October 1970.

 [94] NA: CAB 134/2604, SCEIP Minutes, July–October, 1970.

 [95] NA: FCO 26/1212, Royle to Douglas-Home, 15 September 1970; Reddaway to Heads of FO Departments, 30 September 1970; Budd to Reddaway, 6 October 1970.

 [96] The Times, 1 October 1970, 6.

 [97] NA: FCO 26/1212, cutting from Daily Mirror, 9 September 1970; Reddaway to Godden, 10 September 1970; Reddaway to Heads of FO Departments, 17 September 1970.

 [98] NA: FCO 26/1212, Royle to Douglas-Home, 15 September 1970.

 [99] NA: FCO 26/1212, Royle to Douglas-Home, 15 September 1970, See also Lashmar and Oliver, Britain's Secret Propaganda, 146–7; Mullen and Burkitt, Spinning, 10–11; A Letter (BBC).

[100] NA: FCO 26/563, Ford to O'Neill, 6 October 1970.

[101] The Times, 5 October 1970, 9.

[102] NA: FCO 26/563, Reddaway to Godden, 21 October 1970.

[103] NA: FCO 26/564, Reddaway to Budd, 27 October 1970.

[104] NA: FCO 26/550, ‘Record of Meeting between the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Officers of the British Council of the European Movement: Foreign and Commonwealth Office’, 20 August 1970.

[105] NA: FCO 26/770, ‘The Campaign For Entry—The FCO’ (FO memorandum), 21 May 1971.

[106] NA: FCO 26/550, ‘The Organisation of a Public Campaign on the Common Market’, EM Memorandum sent to Rippon, 17 August 1970. Inconsistent capitalisation in original.

[107] NA: FCO 26/550, Petrie to Ford, 17 August 1970.

[108] NA: FCO 26/563, Ford to O'Neill, 30 July 1970.

[109] CAC: Michael Wolff Papers (hereafter MWP) WLFF 3/3/17, Notes of meetings with Whitelaw and Royle, 1970 and 1971. See also Hugh-Jones, From Diplomacy, 415; Kitzinger, Diplomacy, 199; Lashmar and Oliver, Britain's Secret Propaganda, 147–8; Mullen and Burkitt, Spinning, 10.

[110] CAC: MWP WLFF 3/3/17, Notes of meetings with Whitelaw and Royle, 8 September to 11 October 1971.

[111] NA: FCO 26/592, Petrie to Ford and Tickell, 24 July 1970.

[112] NA: FCO 26/550, Adams to Ford, 6 August 1970.

[113] NA: FCO 26/550, Adams to Petrie, 15 October 1970.

[114] NA: FCO 26/550, Adams to Petrie, 15 October 1970, Adams knew that the EM had been trying to raise £500,000; he attended the meeting of 20 August 1970 in which this was discussed and saw correspondence in which the sum was mentioned.

[115] NA: FCO 26/550, Petrie to Adams, 19 October 1970.

[116] NA: FCO 26/770, Reddaway to Logan, 17 March 1971.

[117] NA: FCO 26/770, Reddaway to Logan, 17 March 1971

[118] NA: FCO 26/811, ‘European Campaign’ (memorandum by Tucker), 1971.

[119] NA: FCO 26/811, Reddaway to Adams, 2 June 1971.

[120] Kitzinger, Diplomacy, 220; Mullen and Burkitt, Spinning, 11; A Letter (BBC).

[121] NA: FCO 26/811, Adams to Logan, 15 June 1971; Budd to Adams, 17 June 1971; Hugh-Jones to Budd, 21 June 1971. See also Evans, While Britain Slept, 102; Kitzinger, Diplomacy, 155–7; Lashmar and Oliver, Britain's Secret Propaganda, 147; Mullen and Burkitt, Spinning, 10–11; Hugh-Jones, From Diplomacy, 418–26.

[122] NA: FCO 26/770, Adams to Ford, 20 May 1971.

[123] NA: FCO 26/770, Adams to Ford, 20 May 1971

[124] NA: FCO 26/770, Adams to Ford, 20 May 1971

[125] NA: FCO 26/770, ‘The Campaign For Entry—The FCO’ (FO memorandum), 21 May 1971.

[126] NA: FCO 26/770, cutting from Daily Express, 24 May 1971.

[127] NA: FCO 26/770, cutting from Daily Express, 24 May 1971

[128] Wilkes and Wring, ‘British Press’, 190–5; Kitzinger, Diplomacy, 337–51.

[129] Gliddon, ‘Programmes’, 410–11; CAC: MWP WLFF 3/3/17, Notes of meetings with Whitelaw and Royle, 22 and 27 September 1971.

[130] Gliddon, ‘Programmes’, 415–18; Kitzinger, Diplomacy, 333–5; NA: FCO 26/564, Davidson to Heath, 1 July 1970.

[131] NA: FCO 26/1123, ‘Preparations for European Community Membership: Information—FCO Report’, 1972; FCO 26/1129, European Publicity Meeting Minutes, 4 August 1972. See also Hugh-Jones, From Diplomacy, 439–41.

[132] PDH: Vol. 825, Col. W143, 9 November 1971; Vol. 832, Cols. W222–4, 6 March 1972; NA: FCO 26/1129, ‘Notes For Supplementaries’, 17 July 1972; FCO 26/1452, Sanderson to Reddaway, 12 November 1973. See also Hugh-Jones, From Diplomacy, 440.

[133] NA: FCO 26/563, ‘Publicity strategy in UK in connection with entry into EEC’, 1970. See also Wallace, ‘Domestic Policy-making’, 295–6

[134] NA: FCO 26/775, Draft of letter from Fyjis-Walker to Edwards, 9 December 1971.

[135] NA: FCO 26/775, Draft of letter from Fyjis-Walker to Edwards, 9 December 1971

[136] NA: FCO 26/592, Petrie to Ford, 17 August 1970.

[137] CAC: Diplomatic Oral History Programme DOHP 63, Interview with Roger Beetham.

[138] Evans, While Britain Slept, 98.

[139] Lashmar and Oliver, Britain's Secret Propaganda, 149; A Letter (BBC); Shore, Separate Ways, 5.

[140] King, Britain Says Yes, 29; Kitzinger, Diplomacy, 354–63; Lieber, British Politics, 228–32; Spence, ‘Movements’, 25–8. Polls by ORC, which were usually the most favourable, and exceptional when compared with other polls, occasionally showed a slim majority for membership in summer 1971.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Paul Gliddon

Paul Gliddon is an Associate Lecturer on the Open University course ‘Governing Europe’. He has also taught British political history at York and Newcastle universities. He has a Ph.D. from Newcastle University, in the area of political history of mass media, and has had several journal articles published in the same field.