Class 7 EEC Entry, Edward Heath

Heath’s Rhetoric  Context  Problematic  Analysis

Context  End of Post-War concensus  Bad economic situation  63 > Charles de Gaulle’s first veto (‘Trojan Horse’)  67 > second veto (bad economic situation)  70 > Heath PM, third application  73 > Entry in Europe

Question  Public opinion > not really in favour of Europe  Humiliating veto from de Gaulle  Heath’s rhetoric > how he managed to be successful > rights tone combined with powerful arguments

Finding the right tone  Down to earth attitude:  Yes or no presentation line 1 > very simple choice  Blunt presentation of the situation line 16 > not trying to hide the bad economic situation  Acknowledges the difficulties ahead line 56 > being true to the people  Hardly no use of WILL > no uncertainty line 25 > he is not gambling with GB’s future.  Conversational style:  Informal style line 4, 10, 16 … > closer to normal people (vs. Powel or Macmillan)  All in the same boat, reccurent use of ‘WE’ > no opposition (you vs. I)

Successful Ethos  By using a very simple language Heath is:  Very close to the people  Showing the debate concerns everyone  Not trying to impose his will but rather to talk ppl into (= persuade) entering the common market  Powerful ethos:  Just a normal man talking to normal people > identification (cf. ‘WE’) vs. Elitist politicians  No paternalistic dimension but equal term > conversation (vs. Bombastic rhetoric)  He shows that he understands the apprehension of people

Sound and powerful arguments  Being true to the people:  Bad situation at the moment but cyclic dimension line 15 > GB used to be powerful, is no longer powerful, can be powerful again if we enter the EEC >> message of hope  Acknowledging the bad situation > l16 shows he is not in denial or worse (telling lies) > reinforces the ethos (vs. EDEN).  The world is changing (cf. Wind of Change):  Seen as positive > GB can be an actor in the change and not a victim  Importance of the moment lines 4-6 > we can make a difference

Britishness  Liberty > John Locke  (Free) Trade > British Empire  Liberal Values > Darwin  Commonwealth

Britishness  Heath appeals to everything that is associated with Britishness:  Liberty line 20 > EEC will preserve freedom  (Free) Trade lines 25 > EEC is good for business (vs. Staying out of EEC > end of British economic power)  Liberal (Darwinian) values > needs to be on the winning side l19 > take your chance  Would actually reinforce Commonwealth ties line 29 > we are not abandoning them

Britishness Very clever move from Heath > contrary to what people might think, entering the EEC will not destroy British values, on the contrary it will reinforce these values to become a ‘Greater Britain’ l26

Questions  Do you agree with Heath?  Europe > best way to save your values and national identity?

Metaphor  Meta: accross, over  Pherein: to bear, to carry  Meaning: a tranfer from one meaning to another  Definition: a word or phrase for one thing that is used to refer to another thing in order to show or suggest that they are similar ( webster.com/dictionary/metaphor)

Metaphor Analysis J. Charteris Black Three concepts to analyse a metaphor:  Source Domain > literal meaning, where the metaphor comes from, the lexical field of the literal meaning.  Target domain > metaphoric meaning, what the metaphor refers to.  Conceptual Metaphor > meaning of the metaphor.

Only one metaphor L52 > ‘We were top of the league […] Italy has caught us up and the other three were streets ahead’  Source domain: sport (race)  Target domain: economic success  Conceptual metaphor: ECONOMIC SUCCESS IS A RACE RACE >  There is an objective > the finish line (economic success)  Winners need to put a lot of effort (l19)  Bound to be losers  You have to make sacrifices to win

Metaphor This illustrates the whole speech > if you do not catch the right moment, you are left behind. Economic success (the EEC) keeps moving forwards, here is our chance to be part of it, if we do not catch the train > too bad for us! We live in a competitive world and we have to make the best of it.

Question What do you think of this metaphor?  Economic success is a race?  On the contrary, isn’t it damaging the key idea of the EEC: cooperation over competition Do you think this conception has influenced the way GB sees Europe nowadays?

A Very Efficient Speech Heath’s speech is particularly efficient because he opposes habitual arguments against the EEC by showing that entering the common market would not be a threat to British values but on the contrary it would preserve (logos) and even enhance Britishness (pathos > playing on the pride British identity). He uses a very simple style to show that the situation concerns everyone (ethos). This simplicity is all the more powerful as it highlights the fact that the choice is both simple and decisive for the future of GB.

What about the US?  Heath does not talk of the US > WHY?  Churchill’s three circles > clever move to put the US after Europe and the Commonwealth?

Coming Weeks  Next Week, Thatcher’s Speech, p 39  Group 8, College of Europe, p 49  NEWS