In 1975 I was secretary to a group called Labour against the Common Market. This consisted of a small number of dissident NILP members who were opposed to Harold Wilson’s decision to remain in the Common Market. Now I am campaigning to remain in the EU as I believe it would be a disaster for our economy and in particular for working people should we now withdraw.
I admit I was wrong in 1975. Since then we have had 40 years of growing standard of living greater than that of France, Germany and Italy. We have also benefited from a period of unprecedented peace and stability in Europe based on the EU.
At a time of increasing tension throughout the world it would be folly to destabilise the structures which have worked given us peace for more than 60 years.
Our main concern was that we believed it would be a free capitalist market with no protection for the workers. In hindsight this was not the case as the introduction of the social market has lead to many improvements in working conditions which would be lost if we leave. Benefits such as paid holidays and parental benefit, equal treatment for part-time, fixed-term, and agency workers, equal pay and improved health and safety conditions.
These and many other employees rights are enshrined in EU law and were opposed by the Tory party. It is inevitable that a new, free, right-wing Tory government would try to water down many of these hard fought rights. In addition the Tories have opposed much of the environmental legislation which has improved our waters and reduced pollution. These benefits could all be lost.
As a democrat I am extremely concerned at the level of debate on the referendum. Most of the arguments have been based on figures which have little substance or credibility.
Projections of the impact in 20 or 30 years are totally irrelevant given the changes in the world economy and globalisation. Many of the arguments are based on emotions, with a hint of racism.
One of the most hotly disputed issues is the level of savings achieved by withdrawal. This is greatly exaggerated by Brexit supporters who suggest they could be used to improve public services particularly the NHS. Such a claim has no credibility since the leaders of Brexit have been enthusiastic cutters of public services, tax cutters for the rich and most support the privatisation of the NHS.
There is little agreement on the facts but the vast majority of economists both pro and anti do agree that withdrawal would lead to an initial downturn in the UK economy as foreign investors are concerned about the uncertainty and investors who located in the UK to take advantage of the single market look to move elsewhere.
Brexit is madness. We would be gambling with our long-term and economic future and peace by destabilising Europe.
BRIAN WILSON
Bangor, Co Down
Obeying rules made by others means being ruled by others
In 1988 the then Brussels commission president Jacques Delors boasted to the EU parliament that by the year 2000 the EU would make 70 per cent of the laws of all its member states. In other words the EU, not their own parliaments, would be making most of the laws for the UK, the Republic and the other EU members. One might argue about the percentages today, but this was and is the reality. This prompted one observer to remark that if Delors was right it meant that republicans were being republican and unionists were being unionist over who was to exercise the remaining 30 per cent.
Having to obey laws made mainly by others means being ruled by others. It is the opposite of being independent, sovereign and democratic. EU power is all the more potent for being invisible and not embodied in a foreign army and the other more obvious trappings of domination.
In the 60 years since the Treaty of Rome there is not a single example of a national power that has passed from the member states to the European Community, now the European Union, reverting back to domestic level. A member state on its own cannot decide a single European law. Its people, parliament and government may be opposed to an EU law, its government representatives on the Council of Ministers may vote against it, but they must obey it nonetheless once it is adopted by qualified majority council vote. If a member state does not obey the EU Court of Justice can impose heavy daily fines to enforce compliance.
Each policy area that is transferred from the national level to the supranational deprives citizens of the most fundamental rights of membership of a democracy, the right to make their own laws, to elect their representatives to make them. If there is a vote to ‘Leave’ the EU tomorrow other EU countries will almost certainly seek to follow the example to do the same – among them quite possibly the Republic.
It would also represent an important victory for national democracy and independence in the new forms it is assuming today because of the EU.
KEVIN McCORRY
Belfast BT11
Time to take back control
So now we have Paddy Ashdown for the Remain camp insisting ‘Brexit means opening the door to cheap food worldwide’.
Yet David Cameron has said food prices for the typical family could increase by as much as £220 a year.
We have Cameron saying his (non) renegotiation will bring immigration down (he failed to mention his manifesto pledge of tens of thousands).
Yet Jeremy Corbyn has said there can be no upper-limit to EU immigration. And we have been told that leaving will result in recession, world war three and the end of civilisation. (Perhaps they should be paying us to stay?)
At the same time we are told Britain is too small to go it alone and will be as ‘insignificant as Guernsey’.
Meanwhile, Greenland prospered after it left the EU (EC) in 1985 and EFTA countries have some of the highest living standards in the world – all trade freely with the EU.
I am certain the Common Travel Area will remain and a free trade deal will be concluded – Irish finance minister Michael Noonan has already called for such.
Combined with the Vote Leave mini manifesto and pledge by pro-Brexit ministers to match all current EU funding, I believe most people see through ‘project fear’. But in the end it all comes down to who governs our country.
Do we want unelected Eurocrats running our trade, agriculture and tax or do we take back control and vote leave?
ALAN DAY
UKIP, Cookstown, Co Tyrone
