European Movement UK: The European Movement (EM) UK is the British branch of the wider European Movement, set up in 1947 to lobby for an integrated Europe, united in its values of peace, democracy, liberty and human rights. The international movement was founded in the wake of the Second World War in order to encourage peace and cooperation in Europe which was necessary after the immense destruction wreaked by the previous war. In 1948, 800 European delegates, along with observers from the US and Canada met at the Congress of the Hague, presided over by former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, in order to bring politicians and public figures together from across Europe and to discuss the process of integrating the separated and now weak European nation states. It was here that the call was made to form a political, economic and monetary Union of Europe. The European Movement established the Council of Europe in 1949, a human rights organisation separate from the EU within which operates the European Court of Human Rights, which enforces the adherence of the European Convention of Human Rights. The UK branch of the EM has stated its goal as making the EU”more democratic, effective and accountable”; its current president is the former diplomat and leader of the Liberal Democrats, Lord Paddy Ashdown, and its current Chairman is the former Conservative MP, Laura Sandys.
YEM: The Young European Movement (YEM) is the young people and student movement (ages 18-35) for those who support European integration and federalism; as such it is the UK branch of the Young European Federalists (JEF). Nevertheless, it has very strong connections with the European Movement UK and works with them to promote pro-EU sentiment in Britain and lobby for British involvement and integration with European affairs. It was founded in 1972 as a non-partisan platform in Britain for members to voice their opinions, campaigning for a strong and integrated European Union. JEF are the young peoples’ branch of the Union of European Federalists (UEF), who specifically campaign for a federal Europe; their self described goal is to complete “European economic and political unity [which] is urgently required to ensure Europe’s economic prosperity and relevance in a fast-changing world”. The YEM is part of the grass-roots campaign to keep Britain in the EU, working closely alongside the European Movement UK.
Britain Stronger in Europe: is a lobbying group specifically set up to campaign for and ensure that Britain votes to remain in the European Union. They are the official organisation, as determined by the electoral commission, campaigning for Britain’s place in the EU, were formed in 2015 and are led by their Chairman, the former Executive Chairman of M&S, Lord Stuart Rose. Other political members of the campaign include Green Party MP Caroline Lucas, and Labour Peer Lord Peter Mandelson. They are supported by groups such as the Confederation for British Industry (CBI) and their branches include Students Stronger in Europe and Women In; a group formed of notable women from actors to politicians, business people, professionals and scientists.
In Search of Europa 