The Treaty was signed by Edward Heath, the British Prime Minister, in Brussels on 22 January 1972. The European Communities Bill was then introduced in the House of Commons to give parliamentary assent to Britain’s membership of the EEC. Although the bill itself consisted of only 12 clauses (accepting all previous EEC regulations, the Treaty of Rome, and the terms of entry), it was subject to some 300 hours of debate before becoming law.
Britain’s membership of what was then primarily an economic union came into effect on 1 January 1973. Since then the Community has developed into a much broader entity, the European Union, which was formally created by the Treaty of Maastricht of 1992. The terms of Britain’s agreement to the Treaty received parliamentary approval in the European Communities (Amendment) Act of 1993, and the Union came into force in November 1993.
The New York Times reported:
“By a vote of 356 to 244, the House of Commons approved British membership in the European Common Market tonight.
The 112‐vote majority far ex ceeded most predictions. It was a tremendous victory for Prime Minister Heath, for the govern ing Conservative party and for those in the Labor party who stood out against its opposi tion to British entry, first sought a decade ago.
The result was immediately, hailed by Common Market leaders, who believe that Brit ain’s entry, so long delayed, will give the impetus for de velopment from a six‐nation trading bloc to a monetary and eventually political union of Western Europe.
Big Vote by Laborites
Labor members favoring entry provided a big bloc — 69 votes — for the motion. Mr. Heath lost only 39 Tories. The difference produced the big majority.
Harold Wilson, leader of the Labor party, who favored mem bership before and while he was Prime Minister, deepened the split in his party when he opened the last day of the six day debate.
Mr. Wilson made an all‐out attack on the terms negotiated by the Tories. Then, menacing ly, he said a future Labor gov ernment would demand renego tiation of the terms—and take a Gaullist line of noncoopera tion until the Common Market agreed.
Mr. Heath wound up the Commons debate, the 176th member to speak over the six days. Just before 10 P.M., over angry shouts from left‐wing La borites, he said with force:
“Many millions of people across the world will rejoice that Britain will be taking her rightful place in the true Euro pean unity that we are going to win.”
Heath Is Cheered
It took 15 minutes to tally up the members filing past the tellers. When the result was an nounced at 10:15 a great shout of joy went up from the Con servative benches — and then wild cheers for Mr. Heath as he walked out.
On the Labor side the loudest reaction was bitter anger at those who had defied the party and voted with the Govern ment.
As Roy Jenkins, the advocate of membership who is Labor’s deputy leader, left the cham ber, sonic left‐wing backbench ers hissed “traitor” at him. He faces a difficult fight for reelection as deputy leader next week.
For Mr. Heath the result was a personal triumph, the fulfillment of a longstanding vi sion of Britain in Europe. Un der Prime Minister Harold Mac millan he negotiated the first abortive attempt to enter the Common Market, formally the European Economic Com munity.
The substantial majority will also help him answer the charge that his Government is going against public opinion in pressing for entry.
Prime Minister Heath issued the following statement:
“Parliament has now decided that Britain should, in principle, join the European Economic Communities on the basis of the arrangements which have been negotiated.
“Today’s decision has been reached by a clear majority of the elected representatives of the people—men and women who, irrespective of party po itical differences, share the conviction that this decision is right for their country.
“This is the outcome of years of patient negotiation by Gov ernments of both parties. It marks the end of 10 years of debate.
“Now we stand ready to take our first step into a new world full of new opportunities.
“Our historic decision has been made: the British people accept the challenge.
“Let us show ourselves to that new world as we would wish it to see us—confident, proud and strong.”
Of the 630 members of the House of Commons, all were there except a Conservative who was ill. Four did not vote because they acted as tellers and three because they are of ficers of the House. The break down of the remaining was: France, West Germany, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg. That is true also of the other countries applying to join, Ireland, Norway and Denmark.
Now that Parliament has acted, the actual treaty of ac cession, still to be drafted, could take effect only after ratification by Britain and each of the existing members.
If the remaining obstacles are overcome, Britain and the other applicants will become members of a community of 10 on Jan. 1, 1973.
There was the unmistakable air of a great occasion as mem bers filed into the lobbies for the vote. In the gallery, a sym bol of history, sat Jean Monnet of France, the man often called the father of the new Europe.
Mr. Monnet, now 82 years old, has been a force behind the postwar measures of European integration since the first, the Coal and Steel Com munity was formed just 20 years ago.
