| ID | 149203 |
| Title Proper | Tale of two referendums |
| Other Title Information | 1975 and 2016 |
| Language | ENG |
| Author | Saunders, Robert |
| Summary / Abstract (Note) | One of the more bruising comments on David Cameron's premiership is that it boils down to one recurring theme: ‘doing what [Harold] Wilson did, only a little bit worse’.1 In the wake of the referendum, that verdict now looks generous. Like Cameron, Wilson was a reluctant European who led a divided party at a time of rising euroscepticism. Like Cameron, he pledged to renegotiate the terms of British membership and put them to the public in a referendum. The difference lies in the verdict. When the polls closed on 5 June 1975, Wilson had won a landslide for membership, winning more than two-thirds of the popular vote. Every part of the United Kingdom voted to stay in, with the exception only of Shetland and the Western Isles. |
| `In' analytical Note | Political Quarterly Vol. 87, No.3; Jul-Sep 2016: p.318–322 |
| Journal Source | Political Quarterly 2016-09 87, 3 |
| Key Words | EEC ; Tale ; Two Referendums ; 1975 and 2016 ; Renegotiations ; Dracula vs Frankenstein |