‘A majority attained by fraud’? The Government Information Unit and the 1975 referendum

The 1975 referendum posed a difficult challenge for government: how could it ensure an informed public debate, without being seen to prejudice the result? Eurosceptics have described the conduct of that referendum as a “sham”, partly because of Harold Wilson’s decision to establish a Referendum Information Unit at the Cabinet Office. Lindsay Aqui argues that the government’s reluctance to make a positive case for membership stemmed from worries about perceived bias. Indeed, Britons’ historic lack of enthusiasm for the EU may have its roots in the tepid Yes campaign of 1975.