LABOUR leader Corbyn was pushed yesterday for convincing reasons for voting to ‘Remain’ in the EU in the forthcoming referendum. He said that EU directives had ‘improved the UK’s beaches’, that ‘Three years ago the EU voted to restrict the use of some pesticides that are strongly linked to the decline of the bee population, essential for our biodiversity’, and that ‘It is an EU directive that has stopped the mobile phone companies from ripping us off if we make or receive a call abroad.’
However, he claimed: ‘The European Convention on Human Rights, empowering citizens to hold the government accountable, has strengthened our rights as citizens and stopped the government gagging free speech and a free press.’
He then outlined that ‘A vote to “Leave” means a Conservative Government would then be in charge of negotiating Britain’s exit. Everything they have done as a Government so far means we could not rely on them to protect the workplace rights that millions rely on. A Tory Brexit negotiation would be a disaster for the majority of people in Britain.’
He seemed to be confirming that he would support a Labour government-led Brexit, but that the Tories could not be trusted ‘to protect the workplace rights that millions rely on’.
This is obvious rubbish, since it is already on record that Cameron would not last for 30 seconds as leader of the Tories if they lose the referendum, and many people consider that the post-Brexit crisis would lead to a crisis general election and a Labour government.
So Corbyn would prefer to stay in the EU under the Tories than quit the EU, when the crisis-ridden Tories would collapse under their own contradictions. Corbyn’s twisted reasonings are a product of his refusal to stand up to the right wing of the Labour Party.
He added hastily: ‘But that’s not to say we can be satisfied with the European Union as it is. We believe Europe can and must do far more to meet the needs of our people. That’s why when we make the case to remain, we also make the Labour case for reform.’
However, this is precisely the Cameron line that we must remain in the EU to reform it. Cameron wants to reform it to the right, Corbyn to the left. Corbyn is voting Remain, assisting Cameron to push the EU further right!
Corbyn does not deal with the way that the unelected EC, the Central Bank and the IMF have raped Greece again and again, have pauperised Ireland and driven hundreds of thousands abroad, and have now told the Irish people that they cannot get rid of water charges, and if they try they will face a daily fine!
Greece is being gripped by general strike after general strike as the standard of living of the masses is driven down towards zero by the unelected European Commission!
France is now ablaze under the same EU-inspired austerity attacks this time by a socialist government led by Hollande.
However, Corbyn could not entirely ignore the real EU. He revealed that ‘Many thousands of people have written to me, with their concerns about the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (or TTIP) the deal being negotiated, largely in secret, between the US and the EU.
‘Many people are concerned rightly, that it could open up public services to further privatisation – and make privatisation effectively irreversible. Others are concerned about any potential watering down of consumer rights, food safety standards, rights at work or environmental protections and the facility for corporations to sue national governments if regulations impinged on their profits.
‘A few weeks ago the French President, Francois Hollande, said he would veto the deal as it stands and to become law any deal would have to be ratified by each member state. So today we give this pledge. As it stands, we too would reject TTIP – and veto it in government.’
Of course, the truth is that if Corbyn cannot fight the EU now he will not fight it should he become the head of a Labour government! He ended: ‘Another Europe is not just possible but urgently and vitally needed, which is why we must reject the offer of a Tory Brexit.’ Corbyn is a true Fabian dodger.
Another Europe is necessary. But to achieve it, the UK workers must quit the EU, go forward to a workers government and fight for a Socialist United States of Europe alongside the French, Greek, Irish and German workers.
