It is a myth that the Community is simply a bureaucracy with no concern for the individual.
The entire staff of the Commission is about 7,000—smaller than that of the Scottish Office.
It is a myth that our membership of the Community will suffocate national tradition and culture.
Are the Germans any less German for being in the Community, or the French any less French? Of course they are not!
It seems to me to display an amazing lack of self-confidence in Britain on the part of some people, that they think that, whereas no other nation in the Community has lost its national character, Britain in some way will.
These points and others must be answered—on the public platform—on the doorstep.
When referendum day comes there may be some who do not want to vote. But no one can opt out of this decision. It is a decision that will affect us all. It is a decision that will affect future generations.
It is a decision in which all should participate to secure our future in a free society.
We must act to defend our children's future as those generations before us acted to protect ours.
For hundreds of years the peoples of Britain have been writing history. Do we want future generations to continue to write history or are they simply going to have to read it.
If we fail, they will read how we broke faith with both the present and the past.
If we fail and the British people vote ‘No’ to the European Community, they will read how there was a defeat for co-operation between nations, and how there was a victory for the tribunes of the Left.
They will read how extremism won over commonsense. For it is purely common sense to belong to a community working together in peace on economic and political issues that concern us all.
It is purely commonsense to have access to secure sources of food supplies, when as a nation we have to import half our food.
It is surely commonsense to belong to the Community that is the largest trading and aiding unit in the world, and play our part in that Community.
It is surely commonsense for Britain to continue to play a part in the Council of Europe.
It is purely commonsense that we should now listen also to the Commonwealth—those Nations who twice this century, have come to Britain's aid to defend democracy in Europe.
Not one of them now want us to leave. The Commonwealth wants us to stay in. Britain has made a vital contribution to the past. She has a contribution to make to the future. It will be bigger in Europe than alone
Leader of the Opposition Margaret Thatcher, making a speech to the Conservative Group for Europe, 16th April 1975. Thatcher advocated a Yes vote.
