The forthcoming speech by David Cameron, set to define the Conservative’s long-term attitude to EU membership, is due soon.
Egged on by an anti-EU right wing cabal of the 2010 intake of Eurosceptic MPs, others fearing for their seats because of the recent bounce by the head bangers in UKIP, plus the anti EU media, Cameron is so far demanding unspecified ‘repatriation’ of powers, renegotiation of membership and looks set to hold a referendum in 2015.
Alarmed at these developments in the past few weeks, the CBI and other mainstream employer organisations have warned of the UK ‘sleepwalking out’ of the UK.
In his speech to the Fabian’s this weekend, Ed Miliband warned of the damage all this is doing and made Labour’s position clear.
At last week’s TUC meeting addressed by Labour’s Andrew Adonis, Andrew Churchill of the manufacturer JJ Churchill, the TUC’s Frances O’Grady and ‘Lord Hezza’, the Government’s advisor on economic growth, responded to a question put by myself on the damage to manufacturing that is being done by the posturing and rhetoric on the issue of the UK’s continued membership of the EU.
Lord Heseltine’s remarks got the most media coverage, deriding those who argue that the UK could somehow exist on the edges of the EU like Switzerland or Norway and those who argue we should concentrate exporting to the BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India and China) who would welcome our business if we were out of the EU. Heseltine said he wasn’t aware of any Brazilians sitting thinking – “good – the UK is out of Europe, lets do business with them”.
The Obama administration waded in as well warning of the dangers of a EU exit from the UK, Merkel’s team made it clear that they were fed up with being lectured – and even those countries disposed towards the UK now find it hard to accept that proposals endorsed by everyone else can be blocked, delayed and watered down by the UK threatening to throw its teddy out of the pram.
The EU is becoming weary of megaphone ‘noises off’ and harebrained comments from William Hague, Boris Johnson, Theresa May and John Redwood bouncing ideas such as the UK having “associate membership” which would see the UK lose its commissioner in Brussels and a seat at the table. It is farcical to believe the UK would retain our access to European markets and influence the development of the rules governing the EU.
This self-centred debate is damaging manufacturing in particular and creating uncertainty. Rightly or wrongly, it is strongly rumoured that Merkel killed the BAE Systems with EADS merger because of the uncertainty about the UK’s long term role. Others think this debate is a sideshow, distracting from the real problems of the Eurozone, the UK economy and manufacturing – especially as we are now facing the very real possibility of a triple dip recession and companies such as Honda can blame the drop in sales of cars in Southern Europe and put 1000 workers on the dole.
We also need to be clear that what the Tories are really talking about when they refer to ‘repatriation of powers’. They are not just talking about issues related to justice and immigration. We should not lose sight of the attack they will make on basic employment rights if we were outside of the EU. Nor do they like the social dimension that EU membership has brought. Out of the EU the Tories will force a race to the bottom by dismantling basic employment rights.
These include rights to Information and Consultation; changes to employment rights for agency workers, fixed term contract workers and part time workers; EU legislation on young people; the Working Time Regulations which gives the right to four weeks paid holiday and the right not to be forced to work more than 48 hours a week; TUPE regulations which protect workers in companies subjected to take-overs and there are numerous equal pay and health and safety directives the Tories would like to ditch which benefit UK workers. (See my blog on European Employment Rights from November 2011. Also worth reading is a letter in the Guardian from January 12th from Simon Sweeny of the University of York.)
The media and the Tories brush aside the fact that the EU provides 57% of our trade, has provided direct funding and grants for manufacturing companies in the past and have assisted with structural funding to areas hit by industrial change and decline.
There is much wrong with the EU at present, notably the austerity measures imposed on Greece, Ireland, Spain and Portugal. Even so, there is no clamor by unions in those countries to exit the EU.
We can expect the media and Eurosceptics to ratchet up anti EU sentiment. Tory MPs and cabinet minister wedded to austerity and driving down employment rights will no doubt repeat the mantra that the failure to grow the economy is all down to Europe and the Eurozone.
This somnambulism and posturing by the Tories and the right wing media will, sooner or later, lead other EU member states to ask the question – make your minds up – are you in or out?
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9 Responses to “Cameron’s Gathering EU Storm”
Newsbot9
You think Tony Benn will go anywhere near the UKIP? Heh.
Keep attacking those nasty Union leaders, how dare workers select people to reprisent them!
James Byford
I say it’s time we leave the European Union. The whole thing really has never served Britain’s best interests, whether it be with domestic ownership of telecommunications companies, MG Rover, British Steel (see 1980), national sovereignty and democratic self-determination.
I’m fed up with career politicians telling s we have to remain a member, and “we can reform from within”. Terrible argument – didn’t do Blair much good when he wanted to change the Common Agricultural Policy, giving up half our re-bait for Nothing. This anti-democratic institution is seen by the British people for what it is. In 2009 with the European Constitution we should have had a referendum – Labour bottled out. Like most people, I am fed up with these career politicians thinking they know best because like Roy Jenkins they have no trust in the British people. It’s like “I went to university and got a degree, so I can tell you what this country is going to do”. I’m fed up with it!!
And what are we even bashing Cameron here for? What – his not surrendering to the federalist trendies who LOVE the idea of covertly turning the ram-shackles of the EU into a superstate. For standing up for Britain’s best interests. For putting Barroso and his pal Bilderbeg Van Rumpoy in their place, telling them, we pay £64 Million each day with our money, and your bureaucrats, accountable to none will not tell us what to do.
Ultimately we Britons will get what they want out of their EU Membership, or they will leave. It’s that simple. And for all you Roy Jenkins-seque “I’m a university graduate, so I can tell you what to do” people, you have no credibility. If Labour does not offer a Referendum, they will lose seats to the Conservatives and even the Greens – and they will deserve to do so.
James Byford
Exactly, great comment. I’m with LB(J?) all the way!. I’m fed up with these Federalist trendies stomping around thinking they can tell the rest of us what to do. They despise the very notion of referenda and democracy because it endangers their Grand European Scheme, which has really been their since the start – A Federalist European Superstate. But like career politicians like Roy Jenkins from the past, they think because they’re university educated, and therefore more intelligent than the rest of us, they are perfectly entitled to do so without Anyone’s consent. It makes me sick.
I’m no real fan of David Cameron but I support what he is doing, and all these cheap rubbish political points the vehemently Pro-EU membership at any coats people are talking crazy! Yeah lets give up more parliamentary power and perogative to the unaccountable EU bureaucrats. Yeah, lets give-in to the entrenched laissez-faire economics of the Common Market, yeah, lets ignore all the lobbying of the EU Commission which Multinational Corporations do.
For being such a bunch of ‘internationalists’ it surprises me that they are scared of what lies outside the EU – Democracy and real National Freedom.
James Byford
True, I’m Eurosceptic and I’m certainly on the Left.
And the EU is no socialistic institution, the Common Market is in effect entrenched laissez-faire economics. Terrible for British industry, (MG Rover/Rover Group, domestically owned telecommunications and energy companies, wind turbine manufactures, Bombardier, Finance and control of capital, British Steel loosing 3 of 6 manufacturing plants in 1980 due to Nationalization “contravening competition policy law”.) Again, I wish people would think of some of the reasons why Margaret Thatcher signed the 1986 Single European Act.