why it took so long for the UK to enter EU

The term “European Union” has evolved as the organisation has evolved. At first, the organisation was known as the “European Economic Community”(EEC) or “Common Market” but, after the Single European Act was passed in 1986, the name changed to “ European Community” (EC). In 1993, after the ratification of the Maastricht Treaty, the name changed again from European Community to “European Union”(EU).

Three factors are central to origins of the EEC. First of all, at the end of the Second World War, European politics realised that both wars had a similar pattern. For instance, twice, Germany had invaded France through Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands (the Benelux countries). Therefore, some politicians thought that the best way of avoiding a third war was for European countries to work together politically, economically and perhaps even militarily. Secondly, most of the European countries involved the Second World War and the economies in many of them had bee...