--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It does mean, if this is the idea, the…" description: "\"It does mean, if this is the idea, the end of Britain as an independent European state...it means the end of a thousand years of history.\" — Hugh Gaits..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/844/hugh-gaitskell-44186_britain_it-does-mean-if-this-is-the-idea-the-end_1990489.jpg" --- # It does mean, if this is the idea, the end of Britain as… ![“It does mean, if this is the idea, the end of Britain as an independent European state...it means the end of a thousand years of history.” quote by Hugh Gaitskell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/844/hugh-gaitskell-44186_britain_it-does-mean-if-this-is-the-idea-the-end_1990489.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/844/hugh-gaitskell-44186_britain_it-does-mean-if-this-is-the-idea-the-end_1990489.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/844/hugh-gaitskell-44186_britain_it-does-mean-if-this-is-the-idea-the-end_1990489.jpg) > “It does mean, if this is the idea, the end of Britain as an independent European state...it means the end of a thousand years of history.” [Hugh Gaitskell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-gaitskell/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The idea threatens Britain’s centuries‑old sovereignty and could end its distinct historical identity **In simple terms:** Britain might lose its independent identity if it joins a unified Europe Key Takeaway Consider the historic cost of losing national sovereignty Themes national identity politics European integration history sovereignty Mood reflective concerned analytical Type political historical When to use this quote - parliamentary debate - public referendum - foreign policy - academic analysis Key Concepts self‑determination regionalism political union historical continuity Questions to Reflect On - What are the long‑term cultural impacts of EU membership? - Can sovereignty coexist with deeper integration? A Different Perspective Opponents argue economic benefits and peace may outweigh historical concerns ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Britain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/britain/) [Europe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/europe/) [History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history/) [Ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas/) [Thousand years](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thousand-years/) ## Related quotes > [In the end it may well be that Britain will be honored by the historians more for the way she disposed of an empire…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ormsby-gore-5th-baron-harlech/in-the-end-it-may-well-be-that-britain-will-be-honored-by-the/) David Ormsby-Gore, 5th Baron Harlech > [I am against the idea of the end, that everything culminates in paradise or judgment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anselm-kiefer/i-am-against-the-idea-of-the-end-that-everything-culminates-in/) [Anselm Kiefer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anselm-kiefer/) > [Britain's continuing membership of the Community would mean the end of Britain as a completely self-governing nation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-benn/britain-s-continuing-membership-of-the-community-would-mean-the-end/) [Tony Benn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-benn/) > [It is a terrible commentary on Christian civilization that the longest period of slave-raiding known to history was initiated by the action of Spain,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-a-l-fisher/it-is-a-terrible-commentary-on-christian-civilization-that-the/) [H. A. L. Fisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-a-l-fisher/) > [Anyone who has walked through the deserted palaces of Versailles or Vienna realise how much of a part of the life of a nation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-rees-mogg/anyone-who-has-walked-through-the-deserted-palaces-of-versailles-or/) [William Rees-Mogg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-rees-mogg/) > [Quantity of material production can only be a means to a further end, not an end in itself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-huxley/quantity-of-material-production-can-only-be-a-means-to-a-further-end/) [Julian Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-huxley/) > [“Men get out of countenance with themselves and others because they treat the means as the end, and so, from sheer doing, do nothing,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/men-get-out-of-countenance-with-themselves-and-others-because-they/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [Democracy and socialism are means to an end, not the end itself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jawaharlal-nehru/democracy-and-socialism-are-means-to-an-end-not-the-end-itself/) [Jawaharlal Nehru](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jawaharlal-nehru/) > [Law professors like Obama tend to view the law as one means to an end, and others, like myself, tend to view it as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-turley/law-professors-like-obama-tend-to-view-the-law-as-one-means-to-an-end/) [Jonathan Turley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-turley/) > [Humor, for me, is really a gate of departure. Its a way of enticing a reader into a poem so that less funny things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-collins/humor-for-me-is-really-a-gate-of-departure-its-a-way-of-enticing-a/) [Billy Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-collins/) > [The darkroom is just the means to an end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-weston/the-darkroom-is-just-the-means-to-an-end/) [Kim Weston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-weston/) > [As the means, so the end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/as-the-means-so-the-end/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [The term bipartisanship, that's a means to an end. That's not something that I think you run on. I think you run on solutions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-delaney/the-term-bipartisanship-that-s-a-means-to-an-end-that-s-not-something/) [John Delaney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-delaney/) > [Some people in China don't look at freedom of speech as an abstract ideal, but more as a means to an end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yiyun-li/some-people-in-china-don-t-look-at-freedom-of-speech-as-an-abstract/) [Yiyun Li](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yiyun-li/) > [Don't get stuck on the level of words. A word is no more than a means to an end. It's an abstraction. Not unlike…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eckhart-tolle/don-t-get-stuck-on-the-level-of-words-a-word-is-no-more-than-a-means/) [Eckhart Tolle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eckhart-tolle/) ## More by Hugh Gaitskell > [Let us not forget that we can never go farther than we can persuade at least half of the people to go.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-gaitskell/let-us-not-forget-that-we-can-never-go-farther-than-we-can-persuade/) [Hugh Gaitskell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-gaitskell/) > [In the last few years we have learned to distinguish the means of Socialism from the ends.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-gaitskell/in-the-last-few-years-we-have-learned-to-distinguish-the-means-of/) [Hugh Gaitskell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-gaitskell/) > [I can assure you that there is no question of us throwing away the tradition of the Grammar Schools.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-gaitskell/i-can-assure-you-that-there-is-no-question-of-us-throwing-away-the/) [Hugh Gaitskell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-gaitskell/) > [We could not have parliamentary sovereignty with a European Parliament.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-gaitskell/we-could-not-have-parliamentary-sovereignty-with-a-european-parliament/) [Hugh Gaitskell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-gaitskell/) > [We really must keep under control, and pretty strict control, the area within which 'The Man in Whitehall' knows best.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-gaitskell/we-really-must-keep-under-control-and-pretty-strict-control-the-area/) [Hugh Gaitskell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-gaitskell/) > [Surely the right course is to test the Russians, not the bombs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-gaitskell/surely-the-right-course-is-to-test-the-russians-not-the-bombs/) [Hugh Gaitskell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-gaitskell/) > [In recent years, hours of work have been reduced, holidays have been increased, the age of entry into employment has gone up, and above…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-gaitskell/in-recent-years-hours-of-work-have-been-reduced-holidays-have-been/) [Hugh Gaitskell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-gaitskell/) > [You still hear some people speaking as though we could decide whether the Common market existed or not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-gaitskell/you-still-hear-some-people-speaking-as-though-we-could-decide-whether/) [Hugh Gaitskell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-gaitskell/) [Explore all 9 Hugh Gaitskell quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-gaitskell/) ## More Britain quotes > [We can find common qualities and common values that have made Britain the country it is. Our belief in tolerance and liberty which shines…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-brown/we-can-find-common-qualities-and-common-values-that-have-made-britain/) [Gordon Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-brown/) > [In Britain, the press want to kill a show by revealing what's coming up and spoiling the pleasure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-bonneville/in-britain-the-press-want-to-kill-a-show-by-revealing-what-s-coming/) [Hugh Bonneville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-bonneville/) > [If we don't like modern Britain, then it is very unlikely that modern Britain will like us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/damian-green/if-we-don-t-like-modern-britain-then-it-is-very-unlikely-that-modern/) [Damian Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/damian-green/) > [It is time Britain put its trust back into the Labour Party. I believe I am the candidate that can make this happen precisely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-abbott/it-is-time-britain-put-its-trust-back-into-the-labour-party-i-believe/) [Diane Abbott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-abbott/) > [Britain has the IRA and no one cancels concerts there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharon-osbourne/britain-has-the-ira-and-no-one-cancels-concerts-there/) [Sharon Osbourne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharon-osbourne/) > [The establishment in Britain is certainly against the arts and against education. If something doesn't make a profit, it's invalid, and art doesn't make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-maxwell-davies/the-establishment-in-britain-is-certainly-against-the-arts-and/) [Peter Maxwell Davies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-maxwell-davies/) > [We from every religion feel comfortable in Britain because there is a host. The Church of England is a good host, it has been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-sacks/we-from-every-religion-feel-comfortable-in-britain-because-there-is-a/) [Jonathan Sacks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-sacks/) > [The larger an English industry was, the more likely it was to go bankrupt, because the English were not naturally corporate people; they disliked…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-theroux/the-larger-an-english-industry-was-the-more-likely-it-was-to-go/) [Paul Theroux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-theroux/) > [I think the first person to call me 'Britain's Obama' was Martin Bright at the New Statesman. Harriet Harman made the comparison once at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuka-umunna/i-think-the-first-person-to-call-me-britain-s-obama-was-martin-bright/) [Chuka Umunna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuka-umunna/) > [I am the last of Britain's stately homos.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-crisp/i-am-the-last-of-britain-s-stately-homos/) [Quentin Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-crisp/) > [ As for whether what happened in Britain improves\[Donald\] Trump's chances of winning, I don't think so. He has the same chances; we may just… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-michael-cillizza/as-for-whether-what-happened-in-britain-improves-donald-trump-s/) [Christopher Michael Cillizza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-michael-cillizza/) > [Britain, like other European states, is not and never will again be in the top-world-power league, so its male leaders can afford to play…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-colley/britain-like-other-european-states-is-not-and-never-will-again-be-in/) [Linda Colley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-colley/) > [When you go away, you see where you come from in a different light. I see Scotland, and the rest of Britain, as much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irvine-welsh/when-you-go-away-you-see-where-you-come-from-in-a-different-light-i/) [Irvine Welsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irvine-welsh/) > [It was very hard breaking into the film industry in Britain. I had been to art school, and I was painting and doing commercials.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-scott/it-was-very-hard-breaking-into-the-film-industry-in-britain-i-had/) [Tony Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-scott/) > [Germany has always stood for an E.U. of the 27 countries. But in light of Britain's continued resistance to further integration steps, as we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wolfgang-schauble/germany-has-always-stood-for-an-e-u-of-the-27-countries-but-in-light/) [Wolfgang Schauble](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wolfgang-schauble/) [Browse all 1,648 Britain quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/britain/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It does mean, if this is the idea, the end of Britain as an independent European state...it means the end of a thousand years of history.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Hugh Gaitskell" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-gaitskell/it-does-mean-if-this-is-the-idea-the-end-of-britain-as-an-independent/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Britain" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-gaitskell/it-does-mean-if-this-is-the-idea-the-end-of-britain-as-an-independent/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/844/hugh-gaitskell-44186_britain_it-does-mean-if-this-is-the-idea-the-end_1990489.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/844/hugh-gaitskell-44186_britain_it-does-mean-if-this-is-the-idea-the-end_1990489.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/844/hugh-gaitskell-44186_britain_it-does-mean-if-this-is-the-idea-the-end_1990489.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It does mean, if this is the idea, the end of Britain as an independent European state...it means the end of…” — Hugh Gaitskell", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Hugh Gaitskell", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-gaitskell/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "It does mean, if this is...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-gaitskell/it-does-mean-if-this-is-the-idea-the-end-of-britain-as-an-independent/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-gaitskell/it-does-mean-if-this-is-the-idea-the-end-of-britain-as-an-independent/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```