In the beginning

In about 1955, as an metallurgy student, I went on a study tour of Germany to see how their metal industries were recovering from the devastation of WWII. The answer was marvellously well. Our group were given a lecture by an Englishman about the European Iron & Steel Community which was formally set up in 1951 and which the UK under the post war Labour Government had foolishly refused to join. By 1955 this was becoming the European Economic Community (EEC) eventually enshrined in the Treaty of Rome (1956). This time it was a Conservative Government that refused to join. The Liberals were for it but, as usual, were ignored. It didn't take the Tories long to realise that not joining was a colossal mistake but by then (1960) General de Gaulle was President of France & no way was he going to have the Brits muscling in. We finally made it into Membership in 1971 by which time most of the guiding principles had been cast in stone & if the UK didn't like it - tough.