Britain joined the European Union when it was still known as the European Economic Community in 1973. During the 1975 referendum on whether the UK should stay in the trading bloc, Mrs Thatcher was part of the winning campaign to remain in the union and was a prominent activist in favour of the EEC. When she was elected as Prime Minister in 1979, she continued to strongly advocate for UK integration – initially. When the Single European Act was proposed in 1986, it suggested creating a single market within the European Community. However, it ruled any matters concerning the construction of the Single Market should be made by qualified majority voting, which means a certain proportion of the member states vote in favour for an act to pass, but meant even those countries which oppose a law would have to implement it.

Only decisions on tax and the free movement of people were exempt from qualified majority voting and had to be taken unanimously.

As Kevin O’Rourke points out in his 2019 ‘A Short History of Brexit: From Brentry to Backstop’ book: “The Single European Act represented a major step towards a more supranational Europe, in that it allowed for the possibility that a member state would find itself in a position where it had to implement legislation with which it disagreed.” 

The historian also explained: “There was always the risk that as time progressed the list of policy areas deemed to be relevant to the Single Market would expand.”

Yet, Mrs Thatcher’s Government were “strongly in favour of this shift towards majority voting” at the time because they believed “it helped to create a competitive and feel market across Europe”.

The government even employed the slogan of ‘Thatcherism on a European scale’ to show its support – a concept many think the Conservatives now regret.

In his 1999 book, ’This Blessed Plot: Britain and Europe from Churchill to Blair’, Hugo Young said: “Everyone in the Thatcher Cabinet backed it, and so did almost everyone in the Thatcher Party – storing up trouble for the day when it became an inconvenient memory. 

“For their eyes weren’t open and they couldn’t really face the consequences of what they had done.” 

The Single Market soon “became a reality”, although incorporating services “has remained a work in progress, much to the occasional irritation of British politicians given the importance of services to the UK economy”, according to Mr O’Rourke.

As her premiership progressed, Mrs Thatcher appeared to become increasingly disillusioned with the European project and frustrated with those within her party who continued to support it.

In her 1993 memoirs, ‘The Downing Street Years’, she remembered: “Certain harmful features and tendencies the European Community started to become evident.

“A more powerful commission ambitious for power, an inclination towards bureaucratic rather than market solutions to economic problems and the re-emergence of a Franco-German axis with its own covert federalist and protectionist agenda.”

In 1988 she gave her famous ‘Bruges speech’, where she accused Europe of being a “super-state”.

She also opposed the single currency, and believed if Europe were to relinquish their own currencies, countries could no longer set domestic policy themselves.

The Daily Telegraph’s chief political commentator Peter Oborne said: “It is one of the tragedies of European history that the world chose not to believe her.

“Right back in 1990, Mrs Thatcher foresaw with painful clarity the devastation it was bound to cause.”

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As Mrs Thatcher’s anti-EU sentiment grew, her support from either side of her party began to shrink. Her failure to heal the deepening divisions over Europe led to challenges to her leadership, which ultimately forced her resignation.

Despite all this, she defended her decision to back the Single Market Act in her memoirs by saying: “Advantages will indeed flow from that achievement well into the future.”

John Major succeeded Mrs Thatcher, and was a known Europhile. 

He is known for signing of the Maastricht Treaty, which helped the EEC move into the EU recognised today – a treaty resented by other Eurosceptic Tories, including Mrs Thatcher herself who was, at this point, a Baroness in the House of Lords.

The Conservative Party collapsed in the 1997 general election as a result of Mr Major’s actions.  Tony Blair even claimed it was the Tory division over the EU that assisted him ascension to No.10.

The divide over the EU in the Tory party has continued up until the present day. 

Even in the 2016 referendum to leave the EU, major party figures were divided on the matter – former Prime Minister David Cameron campaigned to stay in the EU with a re-negotiated deal, while current Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Michael Gove campaigned to leave.

The Conservative Party struggled to appease both Remainers and Leavers members while deciding on a Brexit deal with the EU. 

In an attempt to solve the issue, Mr Johnson expelled 21 Tory MPs from the parliamentary party when they voted against the government and in favour of the preventing a no deal Brexit.

Mr Johnson has promised to get the UK out of the EU by October 31 with or without a deal.

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