Editing Hugh Gaitskell (section)

=== EEC entry ===
[[File:Hugh Todd Naylor Gaitskell.jpg|thumb|upright|Gaitskell in 1961]]
Gaitskell alienated some of his supporters by his opposition to British membership of the [[European Economic Community]], which Conservative Prime Minister [[Harold Macmillan|Macmillan]] had been seeking since July 1961. Although not entirely opposed in principle to British entry, he believed that the EEC was resistant to reform and that membership would hurt Britain's relations with the Commonwealth.<ref name="Matthew 2004, p.292" /><ref>Williams 1985, pp.702-749</ref><ref>Roy Jenkins, ''A Life at the Center '' (1991) pp 136 – 45.</ref>

Gaitskell was particularly fearful that British membership would undermine ties with the Commonwealth. He was worried that the close-knit economic and political ties with Commonwealth nations would have to be dismantled, and replaced by the protectionist Common External Tariff and Common Agricultural Policy in the European Community. 

In a speech to the party conference in October 1962, Gaitskell argued that if the aim was for Britain to participate in a [[Federalisation of the European Union|Federal Europe]], this would mean "the end of Britain as an independent European state, the end of a thousand years of history!" He added: "You may say, all right! Let it end! But, my goodness, it's a decision that needs a little care and thought."<ref name="Charlton" />

In the speech Gaitskell summoned up the memory of [[Battle of Vimy Ridge|Vimy Ridge]] and [[Gallipoli campaign|Gallipoli]], where [[Canadian Corps|Canadian]] and [[Australian and New Zealand Army Corps|ANZAC]] troops had fought alongside British, mixing his defence of national identity with the tradition of the Commonwealth. The speech dismayed many of Gaitskell's natural supporters but was applauded by many on the Left, causing his wife Dora to observe "all the wrong people are cheering".<ref name="Matthew 2004, p.292" />