While many of today’s newspaper articles and reports will become the archives of the future, documenting the UK’s controversial and divisive exit from the European Union, for the sake of balance, we thought we would revisit our holdings for 1973, the year Britain joined the EU. This reminds us that Britain was not always a member of the EU and therefore there is hope, that one day, we will be reunited again.
‘The Illustrated London News’ Front cover, 1973. Detail from Claude Monet’s ‘View of Westminster and the Houses of Parliament’, 1871.
Fanfare for Europe: Message from the Prime Minister, Edward Heath. Page 33.
The articles in the Illustrated London News perfectly explain how the membership was not purely driven by economics but by a desire to unite Europe politically and peacefully.
Articles introducing and explaining what EU Membership means: ‘How the Community Works’ by Roger Berthoud. Pages 37-38.
Like our VC, Dominic Shellard, we hoped that #Brexitday would not become a reality, however, now it is here we have to stay positive and focus on nurturing our international relations. Since the referendum result last spring the campaign #LoveInternational to protect residency rights for international staff and students has made us proud to be a part of a university that takes action.
Today, in response to the triggering of Article 50, the VC has visited Poland to reach out to concerned students and communities to reassure us all that DMU remains an international and outward looking university.
