"I've never been one to say that Britain was joining a happy band of brothers"

This quote by James Callaghan is a representation of the state of Britain's relationship with its European neighbours in the late 1970s. At the time, Britain was thinking about signing up with the European Economic Community (EEC), which was a precursor to the European Union. Callaghan's quote recommends that Britain was not signing up with the EEC out of a feeling of sociability or shared worths, yet instead out of necessity. He indicates that Britain was not joining a "happy band of bros" however rather a group of countries that were joined by financial interests. This quote mirrors the perspective of lots of British people at the time, that were wary of signing up with the EEC as well as surrendering a few of their sovereignty. Callaghan's quote additionally reflects the reality that Britain was not one of the most enthusiastic member of the EEC, and that it was joining out of necessity instead of out of a sense of shared worths.