British Politics
After the referendum unite to demand…
There should be a new referendum when the real terms for Brexit are known
By Jane West
On Thursday 23 June the electorate in Britain voted narrowly – by fewer than 1.3m votes, that is less than 2 per cent of the population – for a lie. They voted for the lie that if Britain came out of the EU it could maintain all the benefits of EU membership – free trade in Europe, the leading role of London, all the protections that came with EU legislation for human rights, the environment, for working conditions etc – without the downsides. These downsides were presented as ‘uncontrolled immigration’, loss of ‘sovereignty’ and a subsidy to the EU that could otherwise be spent on the NHS.
Migration is an economic benefit
The leadership of the Leave campaign in the UK’s EU referendum has focussed its fight on whipping up hostility to immigration and encouraged a reactionary political climate. It’s main argument, that immigration lowers living standards, is not true, but this is not being challenged by the Cameron leadership of the Remain campaign.
The article below, by Michael Burke, explaining why migration raises living standards, was initially published by Socialist Economic Bulletin.
The EU referendum is only the beginning of the political crisis
The EU referendum campaign began as farcical attempt to set aside divisions in the Tory Party but it has turned into a debacle for Cameron. Overall anti-immigration rhetoric and racism have dominated.
Wrong choice in Welsh Assembly
By Rhys Rhymni
Labour has finally formed a coalition administration for the Welsh Assembly (Cynulliad Cenedaethol Cymru). Unfortunately, this coalition administration is with the sole Lib Dem Assembly member elected rather than Plaid Cymru.
Labour’s advance at the 2016 elections
By Tom Williams
The results of the 5 May elections are good news for Labour. It regained the post of London Mayor, beat the Tories in the English local elections and remains the largest party in the Wales Assembly. It was unfortunately further set back in Scotland, which was predictable given its right wing policies there.