Given a fair wind, we will negotiate our way into the Common Market, head held high, not crawling in. Negotiations? Yes. Unconditional acceptance of whatever terms are offered us? No.
Meaning of the quote
The quote suggests that the English statesman, Harold Wilson, believed that England should negotiate its way into the Common Market (now known as the European Union) on fair and equal terms, not just accept whatever terms are offered without discussion. He wanted England to enter the Common Market confidently and with dignity, not by begging or submitting to unfavorable conditions. Wilson believed in negotiating and standing up for England's interests, rather than simply accepting whatever the other members demanded.
About Harold Wilson
Harold Wilson was a British statesman and Labour Party politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom twice, from 1964 to 1970 and again from 1974 to 1976. He led the Labour Party through several key issues, including the role of public ownership, Britain’s membership in the European Communities, and British involvement in the Vietnam War.
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