Notes from the front – of 1/7/2016

1st July 2016 Socialist Action 0


The right wing’s war on the Labour leadership

Following the victory of the Brexit side in its EU referendum Britain has entered its biggest political crisis since 1945. The Tories on both sides of the EU argument do not have a clear proposal on how to proceed. The leadership team of the official Brexit campaign, Michael Gove and Boris Johnson, has already imploded and internal fighting between pro- and anti-EU Tories can be expected to intensify.

There should be a new referendum when the real terms for Brexit are known

24th June 2016 Socialist Action 0

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.

Notes from the front – of 22/6/2016

22nd June 2016 Socialist Action 0


Tooting result confirms Labour’s advance under Corbyn

Since Jeremy Corbyn became Labour Leader the electoral tests that have taken place have established a clear pattern of rising support for Labour in England. The 5 May local elections and three parliamentary by-elections have all recorded significant Labour advances, including most recently in Tooting on 16 June.

photo: Homerton University Hospital

Migration is an economic benefit

21st June 2016 Socialist Action 0

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.