Natalie Bennett, Green Party leader
We flourish best when we work together on the problems that we face.
Natalie Bennett
The European Union (EU) has been a real leader on climate change.
To tackle it, we need to be part of a global effort with the EU as part of it.
We have to rein in the multinational companies and make them pay their taxes.
Even if we had a very different government, it’s very difficult for Britain on its own to take on the multinational companies.
We have to work together as the peoples of Europe to rein in those multinationals and build a different sort of economy.
The EU has imposed a bankers’ bonuses tax and the Tory government used our money to appeal against that decision.
The Green Party also believes the free movement of people enriches all of our lives. Ukip say immigration is a problem for the NHS, but if you meet someone from Europe in the NHS they’re most likely to be treating you.
The NHS is under pressure because of Tory privatisation—that’s not an argument against EU immigration.
But the Green Party campaign is called “Greens for a better Europe”—there’s lots wrong in the EU and there’s lots we want to reform.
The most obvious example is the proposed US/EU Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) free trade deal.
Fighting
People are saying we have to leave the EU because of TTIP, but we need to be in there fighting to stop TTIP.
TTIP was supposed to be signed last year, but resistance across Europe has ensured that it hasn’t been.
The European Commission is far too powerful compared to the parliament, but there’s an awful lot we need to change about Westminster.
People say the EU commissioners aren’t elected, but I point to the House of Lords.
The answer in both cases is to stay in and fight to reform it.
What happens on 24 June if there is a “Brexit”? The Green Party would be drawing up a list of everything we’ve lost.
We’d have to fight for all the workers’ rights, protections and rules all over again in the current political climate.
Do we want to have defend those while we take on the Tory government, neoliberalism and try to transform our society?
We should be voting to Remain—and then on June 24 focusing on the reforms we want in the EU and Britain.
Joseph Choonara, SWP and Lexit—the left leave campaign
We should think about it as we think of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), World Bank and World Trade Organisation.The European Union is another multinational organisation driving through neoliberal attacks.
In Greece it is driving through the most appalling austerity and has actually fought off an IMF attempt to win debt reduction.
Joseph Choonara
TTIP represents the most horrific attack on workers’ rights and environmental and social protection.
Some 3.4 million people signed a petition against it. What did the European Commission do? Absolutely nothing.
The TUC claims that we have equal pay, health and safety and holidays thanks to the EU.
In reality equal pay legislation was won by women workers at Ford Dagenham going on strike.
We have some of the best health and safety legislation in the world because we won it in the 1970s, a time of mass workers’ struggles. The Tories want to lower it to the EU minimum and the EU is not holding back the assault.
We defend freedom of movement, but if you’re a Syrian, Eritrean, Afghan or Iraqi you simply don’t have it.
Barbaric
The EU and Turkey’s barbaric deal means desperate refugees in Greece are sent back to a country that is bombing the Kurdish section of its population. It means refugees have to seek more dangerous routes, which is why hundreds drowned in the Mediterranean last week.
That’s the reality of Fortress Europe.
Many people say we need to change the EU, but no one has proposed a credible method. You can’t do it through the European Parliament. It doesn’t even have the right to propose new legislation.
You can’t do it through the EU bureaucracies. Who voted for the board of the European Central Bank? Who voted for the European Commission?
There is simply no democracy, there’s no capacity to reform it based on the existing institutions.
Some argue that leaving would mean moving even further to the right and being left at the mercies of a Boris Johnson government.
But the EU referendum is not strengthening the right, it’s ripping apart the Conservative Party.
Without a stonking big victory David Cameron is gone and Johnson would inherit a damaged government that would not survive.
Either way, we have a big fight to transform British society and we cannot rely on the EU or reform it.
We should see it as a bosses’ club and vote to leave it on a left wing basis to begin the break-up of that bosses club.
The left debate on the EU in Manchester last Wednesday also had Labour Party member Sara Khan arguing for Remain and Eleni Michalopoulou from the Greek anti-capitalist coalition Antarsya for Leave.
Many people came because they’re sickened by the official Remain and Leave campaign’s right wing and racist politics. Sally, a recent graduate, told Socialist Worker, “I don’t like the way the debate is framed around immigration.
“I came to hear both sides, but particularly the Green Party.”
Most people backed a Remain position, but many were undecided about how they’d vote. Jose, a Spanish migrant, told Socialist Worker, “For the first time in my life, I don’t know what position to take.
“I think that the left should unite across Europe, but the problem is there’s no democracy in the EU.”
The meeting in Manchester (Pic: Martin Empson)
He added, “It needs to change, but I don’t know how it can—If Britain leaves maybe the EU will wake up?”
One of people’s biggest concerns was defending migrants’ and refugees’ rights.
Amy asked from the floor, “Will it be worse for migrants the day after? Would David Cameron push for reforms on immigration within the EU anyway?”
Khan said, “The Tories who support Leave want to limit the rights of migrants even further. The last thing I want is for people living in Britain to be even more oppressed than they are, or to be deported if Britain leaves the EU.”
Michalopoulou said, “Britain was already allowed to change the law regarding benefits for migrants, so Romanians and Bulgarians have specific restrictions.
“It won’t get better, if we don’t fight.”
Undecided
Most had never heard an anti-racist case against the EU.
Young worker Ioan who is undecided told Socialist Worker, “The Fortress Europe argument made me think. What about Iraqis and Afghans when it comes to freedom of movement? Maybe it’s not as free.”
Some argued that leaving would strengthen the right. Julie Reid, a Labour councillor, said, “Global capitalism won’t go away if we leave the EU—we’ll be left in the hands of Michael Gove and the right wingers.
“Even Jeremy Corbyn has changed his position and a lot of that has to do with who we will be left with.
“The first thing the Tories would do is tear up workers’ rights, they’ve destroyed the NHS and they’ll tear into it even more. We might be stuck with them for another ten years.”
Ameen Hadi, a council worker, said, “I hear what Julie says, but we’ve already got it. I’ve got a Tory government that says they won’t let anyone in from Calais. Half the people at my work have already lost their jobs.
“Voting to remain strengthens David Cameron and George Osborne—I want to see them weak, divided and defeated.”
Thousands of residents in London have been without water for months
The climate crisis is impossible to ignore
The human cost of the heatwaves are higher than the temperature
Divide and rule was used to undermine struggle
