European Movement UK
Formation | 1949 |
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Type | Pressure group |
Headquarters | Millbank Tower, 30 Millbank, London, SW1P 4DU |
Location | |
Membership | 22,000+ |
Official language | English |
CEO | Nick Harvey |
Chairman | Mike Galsworthy |
President | Lord Heseltine |
Vice President | Sir Vince Cable |
Staff | 20 |
Website | europeanmovement |
Part of a series of articles on | |
Brexit | |
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Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union Glossary of terms | |
Jul 2018 | |
Withdrawal agreement plan presented | July 2018 |
Withdrawal agreement released | Nov 2018 |
Scottish Continuity Bill blocked | Dec 2018 |
Meaningful votes | Jan–Mar 2019 |
Brexit delayed until 12 April | Mar 2019 |
Cooper–Letwin Act passed | Apr 2019 |
Brexit delayed until 31 October | Apr 2019 |
European Parliament election | May 2019 |
Theresa May resigns as PM | Jul 2019 |
Boris Johnson becomes PM | Jul 2019 |
Prorogation and annulment | Aug–Sep 2019 |
Benn Act passed | Sep 2019 |
Withdrawal agreement revised | Oct 2019 |
Brexit delayed until 31 January | Oct 2019 |
2019 general election | Dec 2019 |
Agreement Act passed | Jan 2020 |
UK leaves the European Union | Jan 2020 |
Implementation period begins | Jan 2020 |
UK–EU trade deal agreed | Dec 2020 |
Future Relationship Act passed | Dec 2020 |
Scottish Continuity Act passed | Dec 2020 |
Implementation period ends | Dec 2020 |
New EU–UK relationship begins | Jan 2021 |
UK–EU trade deal ratified | Apr 2021 |
Windsor Framework released | Feb 2023 |
Windsor framework adopted | Mar 2023 |
The European Movement UK is an independent all-party
The Honorary President was Lord Ashdown until his death in December 2018. Former Deputy Prime Minister Michael Heseltine was appointed as president in May 2019.[2] In December 2022, Lord Adonis stood down as chairman having been in the position since March 2021. Prior to him, the chairman was Stephen Dorrell. Following an election in March 2023, members of the movement voted for Mike Galsworthy to become the new chairman.
History
The creation of the United Europe Movement and the Congress of Europe
The origins of the
Under the leadership of Sandys and Joseph Retinger, organiser of the European League for Economic Cooperation (ELEC), a committee was established to bring together several organisations working towards European Unity, including the UEM, ELEC, the Nouvelles Equipes Internationales, the European Parliamentary Union, and the European Union of Federalists. In Paris on 20 July 1947 ELEC, the UEM, the EPU and the EUF agreed to establish the Committee for the Co-ordination of the International Movements for European Unity. The EPU did not however subsequently ratify its participation in the Committee but the Nouvelles Equipes Internationales agreed to join. In December 1947, the Committee was renamed the International Committee of the Movements for European Unity and Sandys was elected its Chairman and Retinger its Honorary Secretary.[5]
The Committee organised the Congress of Europe in the Hague in May 1948. More than eight hundred delegates from across Europe gathered, under the chairmanship of Sir Winston Churchill, to create a new international movement to promote European unity and prevent further wars between its European countries. The British section of the European Movement was founded a year later.[6] It was also supported by Clement Attlee, the British Prime Minister.[7] Churchill consistently made clear that he saw any 'united Europe' rooted in 'a partnership between France and Germany'. "In all this urgent work" as he put it, "France and Germany must take the lead together. Great Britain, the British Commonwealth of Nations, mighty America, and I trust, Soviet Russia....must be the friends and Sponsors of the new Europe, and must champion its right to live."
Campaigning activity 1970s to date
The British European Movement, mostly working through its Campaign Group based in Chandos House, London, worked closely with the Conservative Prime Minister Edward Heath in the early 1970s when Heath applied to join the European Union.[7]
During the UK's European Communities membership referendum in 1975, the organisation campaigned strongly within the 'Yes' campaign[1] and worked with the Labour Prime Minister Harold Wilson.[7]
Other campaigns since then have included pressing for direct elections to the European Parliament in the 1970s[8] and promoting the benefits of the single market in the run-up to 1992.
In 1997 the British European Movement promoted heavily its Europe 97 campaign (ninety-seven reasons for the UK to be in the European Union).[7]
It campaigned for Britain to remain in the EU in the 2016 referendum
In February 2018 George Soros's Open Society Foundations donated £500,000 to a number of groups opposing Brexit including £182,000 to European Movement UK.[11] In April the same year the group joined the People's Vote to campaign for a second vote.[12][13]
Chairs
The current chair of the UK European Movement is Mike Galsworthy, who was elected to the position in 2023.[14] The previous Chair was former Labour minister The Lord Adonis. Prior to that, chairs included former Conservative ministers Ian Taylor and Stephen Dorrell, Labour MEP Richard Corbett, Conservative MP Laura Sandys and Labour Peer Giles Radice.
Scotland
In Scotland (with devolved political institutions) the European Movement is represented by the European Movement in Scotland (EMiS) - partner organisation of the European Movement UK, with reciprocal membership.
See also
References
- ^ ISBN 9780826458148.
- ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2019-06-06.
- OCLC 26163180.
- ISBN 0198225873.
- ISBN 0198225873.
- ISBN 9781474411790.
- ^ ISBN 9780826458148.
- ISBN 9780714650562.
- ^ Staff (2016-06-13). "The people hoping to persuade UK to vote to stay in the EU". BBC News. Retrieved 2019-06-06.
- ^ Fletcher, Martin (2018-05-30). "Inside the headquarters of Britain's anti-Brexit brigade". The New Statesman. Retrieved 2019-07-03.
- ^ Elgot, Jessica (11 February 2018). "George Soros raises donation to anti-Brexit Best for Britain group". The Guardian. Retrieved 24 August 2018.
- ^ Porritt, Richard (15 April 2018). "Campaign launched to push for People's Vote". The New European. Archived from the original on 17 April 2018. Retrieved 17 April 2018.
- ^ Staff writer (15 April 2018). "Launch of the new national People's Vote campaign". open-britain.co.uk. Open Britain. Archived from the original on 18 April 2018. Retrieved 17 April 2018.
- ^ "European Movement announces new Chair".