Review of 'Yes to Europe! The 1975 Referendum and Seventies Britain'

Until recently, Britain's first referendum on its membership of the European Community (EC), the forerunner of today's European Union (EU), had not exactly featured prominently in the nation's collective memory: few people seem to have known that such a vote had ever taken place at all. The 2016 referendum, of course, changed things completely, as suddenly 'Remainers' and 'Brexiteers' popped up from everywhere to profess their unrivalled knowledge of what allegedly had -or had not -taken place in 1975. Robert Saunders' thoroughly-researched and stylishly-written study therefore could not be timelier. In over 350 pages, it takes us on a colourful and lively journey into 1970s Britain, showing how the European debate in 1975 was inextricably interwoven with myriad other issues and concerns of the day. Whilst readers looking for neat historical analogies and unequivocal 'lessons from history' will be disappointed, the book nonetheless raises some bigger issues about Britain's delicate relationship with European integration from 1945 right up to the present day.