In 2003, in her book Statecraft, Margeret Thatcher set out the case for EFTA. Her comments follow a long line of British tradition and strong Conservative support going back to Macmillan in 1959. It’s worth reminding ourselves of what Margaret Thatcher said:
“In 1992, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein – that is the remaining EFTA countries, bar Switzerland – concluded negotiations with the EU which established a European Economic Area (EEA). These countries now enjoy free trade with the European Union…
“…They also enjoy the unhindered access guaranteed by the operation of the European Single Market. But they remain outside the customs union, the CAP, the CFP, the common foreign and security policy and the rest of the legal/bureaucratic tangle of EU institutions”.
So far from being alien to the British tradition, EFTA is very much a Conservative construct. That’s why, it is important to set the record straight.
Source: Robert Halfon: Mythbusting Common Market 2.0 | Conservative Home
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