Reluctant Europeans?: the Federation of British Industries and European Integration, 1945-63

British industry is often portrayed as one of the main forces in favour of closer integration with western Europe. In the period prior to the rejection of Britain's first application to join the Common Market the Federation of British Industries (FBI) played a pivotal role between Whitehall and the wider business community. It had a role both in policy-making and in creating: business opinion. However, this was not a static and sustained position: the influence of the leadership of the FBI fluctuated in both respects. It is argued that this: reflected neither a corporatist nor a pluralist model of government-business relations. Rather it reflected the interdependencies which existed in this policy network and the changing dynamics of these interdependencies.