Surprise, surprise. The "tax avoidance factory" wants to remain in the EU
Spotted in this bi-weekly's Private Eye: Surprise, surprise. The "tax avoidance factory at the heart of the EU" wants us to remain in. Go figure. #EU #PWC #HSBC #Vodafone #GlaxoSmithKline
Leaving the EU is a left-wing move; we cannot let the Right dominate it
An interesting blog appears on the website of the Scottish Socialist Party addressing the possibility of a socialist case for leaving the European Union. In sum, the piece notes reasons for why a Socialist case can be made, particularly with regards to the issue of TTIP (Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership), the way the deal has been made in secret, and the extent to which it will have bearing on core socialist principles such as keeping unaccountable corporations
Be Wary Of Greeks Bringing Utopian Gifts
I suppose we should be 'for' Varoufakis - after all, he seems to think that it would be a good thing if Europe was 'democratic'. So do we but as collaborating nation states not as the attempted democratisation of current treaty arrangements. The launch Manifesto of DIEM25 calls for a democratic community of sovereign nations which is pretty well what the new Democratic Left Network in the UK wants as well. Yet it is the staggering naivete of the document that strikes us. The
Another March, another Budget – part 1
As March moves into its second half and spring is getting into full swing, it is that time of the year again when we have to endure the voice coached tones of George Osborne uttering a number of familiar refrains: ‘all in it together’, ‘cutting the deficit’, ‘fixing the roof while the sun is shining’ etc, etc, all accompanying a fresh round of micro-measures to buy off different voting constituencies and pressure groups. All wrapped up in a wrong growth forecast! Cue more scr
The starting gun has been fired: guess who supports ‘remain’ and why?
In his 1977 book Politics and Markets the political scientist Charles Lindblom argued that corporatism had become the dominant form of organising government. Whether that was true of every western country at the time or indeed of any western country at the time is up for debate. The issue has no doubt kept many university Politics Departments very entertained for many, many hours. It probably will continue to do so for a long time to come. What is less obviously in doubt, in
Corbyn and Europe: then and now
Jeremy Corbyn, in one of his now-deleted articles from his website, complained about the EU’s “ever-limiting powers for national parliaments”. So why is he now campaigning for In? An interview for the Morning Star, still available on his site, earlier in the year might give a sign: “I would not join the eurozone or the European Central Bank. I voted against Maastricht [in 1992] because it was a Europe based on free-market economics rather than social security and workers’ rig
How does Greece shape our opinion on the EU?
Events in Greece last year coloured left wing attitudes towards the European Union in a way previously unseen. A generation of young activists saw the extent to which the institutions held democracy in contempt. And yet, one man at the centre of it all – Yanis Varoufakis – has launched a political movement called Democracy in Europe Movement 2025 (DiEM25) whose sole purpose is to campaign for the democratisation of the EU. He has even made an explicit call for the UK to stay
What does Jeremy Corbyn really think about the EU?
What a difference half a year can make! Back in September 2015, just after it had been revealed that Jeremy Corbyn voted for Britain to leave Europe in the 1975 referendum, The Telegraph printed the following: “The admission from the hard-left MP who is expected to be named Labour leader tomorrow, raises questions over whether or not he will campaign to leave the EU in the upcoming referendum.” The Daily Express clarified: “Again in 1993, Mr Corbyn voted against ratifying the
