who was prime minister when britain joined the common market
United Kingdom European Communities membership referendum, 1975 The United Kingdom European Communities referendum of 1975, also known as the Common Market referendum and EEC membership referendum was non-binding referendum held on 5 June 1975 in the United Kingdom to gauge support for the country's continued membership of the European Communities (EC)—often known at the time as the "Common Market"—which it had entered on 1 January 1973 under the Conservative government of Edward Heath. Labour's manifesto for the October 1974 general election had promised that the people would decide "through the ballot box"[1] whether to remain in the EC.
List of Prime Ministers of the United Kingdom The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom is the head of the Government of the United Kingdom, and chairs Cabinet meetings. There is no specific date when the office of Prime Minister first appeared, as the role was not created but rather evolved over a period of time through merger of duties.[1] The term was used in the House of Commons in 1805,[2] and it was certainly in parliamentary use by the 1880s.[3][4] In 1905 the post of Prime Minister was officially given recognition in the order of precedence.[5] Modern historians generally consider Sir Robert Walpole, who led the government of Great Britain from 1721 to 1742,[6][7] as the first Prime Minister. Walpole is also the longest-serving Prime Minister by this definition.[8] However, Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman was the first Prime Minister and Margaret Thatcher the longest-serving Prime Minister to have been officially referred to as such.[5][9]