Despite worries of violence, Wareing's funeral was mostly peaceful
“About 3,000 mourners have attended the funeral of murdered MP Bob Wareing in Liverpool. The 76-year-old died after he was shot outside Buckingham Palace. His family wanted the service, which was held at Liverpool Cathedral to be a joyous celebration of his life. The service opened with tributes from Prime Minister Alan Johnson and was led by Socialist Leader, John McDonnell, a confirmed pastor. Johnson called for an end to political violence. "To ensure that no other family has to go through this pain, today's tears must be transformed into action tomorrow. Words of sympathy today must lead to a vision in which politicians of any party can live and work without harassment, abuse or attacks."” - Thousands pay tribute to Wareing, BBC News (2005)
Wareing’s coffin was marched through Liverpool before being buried at St James’ Cemetery. Several senior politicians joined the precession including Johnson and McDonnell. In his speech at the funeral, Johnson pledged an end to political violence and a crackdown on illegal arms import, condemning Civil Assistance. The early stages of the Home Office’s investigation had found most of Civil Assistance’s weapons had been imported via loyalist paramilitaries in Northern Ireland. Initial Home Office actons had been a success, allowing the police to seize Civil Assistance safehouses and weapon caches but many CA leaders remained at large, including Mark Collett.
Wareing’s wasn’t the only funeral, Jim Callaghan too was dead. Callaghan had fled abroad during the coup and for 30 years served as the face of the British Freedom Campaign. The 93-year-old had been suffering from cardiac and kidney problems for the last four years but insisted on traveling back to Britain to see his home freed. He was there for election day but the journey took its toll and Callaghan died of Kidney failure. Johnson paid tribute to the man who “never let the light of Britain flitter out, no matter how dark things looked”. As one of the last surviving members of the Wilson Government, Callaghan’s death represented a link to past Britain could never get back.
“James Callaghan, a World War II veteran who led the British Government in Exile has died at age 93. Callaghan passed away at his home in East Sussex, the U.K. Press Association reported. Callaghan died 11 days after the first democratic elections. He is survived by two children, Margaret Jay, and Michael Callaghan. Prime Minister Alan Johnson called Callaghan was "one of the giants of the democratic movement" who lived a "long and active life". "He was one of the generations who fought in the war and came back determined to build a better, fairer, and different Britain," Johnson said in a statement. Callaghan, nicknamed "Big Jim" or "Sunny Jim," held the posts of Prime Minister in Exile, Home Secretary, and Chancellor of the Exchequer.” - CNN Report (2005)
Callaghan was Prime Minister in Exile and Chair of the British Freedom Campaign from 1968 to 1998
Next on the agenda for Johnson and Foreign Secretary Tony Blair was a flight to Brussels to open talks around EU accession, with a population of nearly 60 million, Britain would be the EU’s most significant enlargement in history. Before Britain could join there were several issues that needed to be resolved, Britain’s relatively closed economy and weak finances, concerns of mass immigration, especially from war-torn Northern Ireland, and Britain's acceptance of the Euro. Above all the situation in Northern Ireland concerned the EU, the region had become a hub for weapons smuggling and political violence, although major IRA leaders like Gerry Adams had signed onto the Cardiff Accords, there was a considerable dissident faction still committing acts of violence. If Britain was to join the EU, it had to show it had Northern Ireland under control.
Whilst Britain still had a long way to go before joining the EU, they did take tentative steps to align themselves with Europe. Johnson and EU Commission President Margot Wallström signed a trade and cooperation agreement in Britain’s first step back to the international community. Johnson’s speech to the European Parliament pledging stable institutions with respect for democracy, human rights, and the rule of law across Europe received a standing ovation from MEPs. Despite eagerness on both sides, and promises of “fast-track” membership, it would still take several years for Britain to join the EU, but it was a start.
President Wallstrom was supportive of British accesion
Whilst in Brussels Johnson met with other major European leaders including German Chancellor Otto Schily, French President Édouard Balladur, and most importantly Irish Taoiseach Brian Cowen. Johnson got on well with all three men, all being relative liberals. Cowen and Johnson were able to agree on further cooperation combating terrorism, smuggling, and other issues in Northern Ireland, with both men hoping to work together to bring about lasting peace. Johnson flew back to London with a new trade agreement and some cool new friends, some welcomed good news amongst the pressure at home.
Whilst in Brussells Johnson had been welcomed with open arms, at home the situation might be a bit more tricky. Whilst the SDP was strongly pro-European it did have a small eurosceptic enclave, most notably John Prescott and the trade union old guard. Furthermore, Johnson would need more than just SDP votes to bring Britain into the EU. The Socialist Alternative and RISE were mostly Eurosceptic and with the death of Wareing McDonnell was in no mood to compromise. There was also the issue of National, whilst some reformists like Ken Clarke supported EU accession, there was a considerable hardline influence who would run a mile at the idea. There was also the ever-present problem of the military, how would Her Majesty's Finest react to handing over sovereignty to the EU? Especially if this required giving up the pound? How would this decision be made, would he copy some countries and hold a referendum? That had never been done in British history before, or would a straight Parliamentary vote be enough? Decisions, decisions, all of them wrong.
“Britain's PM Johnson is confident EU leaders will announce his country can open accession negotiations. His confidence seems justly placed as the EU-14 are set to announce that talks with London will start early next year. The local media have been quoting “sources” saying that the negotiations are going to begin before the end of the year or early in 2006. The speculation has added to restlessness among the people to know where their country stands. One gets the feeling this is an ‘all or nothing game for a nation where everyone is convinced that they already are part of Western, ‘civilized’ Europe. But, by focusing on an accession date, they fail to pay attention to the transformation the country has to go through to qualify for EU membership. “The media are concentrating on the date,” said analyst Jon Worth, but “they have not been reporting on reforms in Poland or the Czech Republic.”” - Britain eagerly awaits EU accession talks, Helena Varendorff, Politico EU (2005)
Britain's accession would need to be approved by the European Parliament and all 14 Member States
