International Factors and the 1964 Election

International issues are not usually seen as having been significant to the 1964 general election result. Harold Wilson made only limited references to foreign policy and defence during the campaign, while opinion polls showed that voters saw domestic questions as being far more important. Traditionally, international issues have had only a limited impact upon British general elections. But the 1964 election was one of the most closely run in history and this article argues that, interpreted broadly, international questions did have a real effect on the contest. The sitting prime minister Sir Alec Douglas-Home focused on the future of the nuclear deterrent for much of the campaign, while considerations about the country's relative decline in the world, reflected in chronic balance of payment problems, helped Labour's case that it was ‘time for a change’ at the top. Besides, the mid-1960s was a significant point for the country's global position: the post-war policy of ‘three circles’—in which Britain played a major role in Europe, maintained a global empire and influenced US policy via the ‘special relationship’—was being called into question. The question deserves to be asked, therefore, why there was not a more intense debate between the political leaders about Britain's international role

Resolving the Rhodesian Conflict: Detent or Confrontation?

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