No2EU

Yes to Democracy

 

SCAEF has considered its position regarding the proposed electoral challenge for the 2009 EU elections by the No2EU-Yes2Democracy platform.

 

SCAEF is a broad Labour Movement based campaign with affiliations from trade unions and trades union councils as well as from individuals from a range of political parties.  Its purpose  is specifically to oppose the development of a federalist, centralised and neo-liberal EU and raise awareness within the trade union and labour movement in Scotland of the threat this poses to the democratic and trade union rights working people across Europe.

 

Given the critical position assumed by the ratification of the Lisbon Treaty and the second Irish referendum for the decisive abrogation of national democracies and the continuing imposition of neo-liberal policies, SCAEF believes that in these special circumstances an electoral challenge of the kind proposed, on a broad, non party political basis, is justified and in the circumstances essential.

 

It notes in particular that the vehicle chosen will not constitute a new or continuing political party.

 

The platform will, however, have the potential to raise a progressive, democratic, TU based challenge to the EU at this critical moment, to give this critique a much broader profile than it has at present and provide an alternative to  the UKIP and BNP in opposing the EU.

 

SCAEF respects the rights of its organisation and individual affiliates to continue to give support to other political party vehicles in the 2009 elections but at the same time believes, in the light of its basic commitment to oppose euro-federalism, that it is incumbent on it as an organisation to support the No2EU challenge.

 

The No2EU website can be accessed here

No2EU Steering Committee selects Scottish slate

 

On 16 April the following were selected

 

John Foster

Tommy Sheridan

Leah Ganley

Stuart Hyslop

Ajit Uppal

Tommy Morrison

 

Scottish organising Committee calls for No2EU mobilisation on Scotland’s May Days

 

Meeting on 23 April the Committee called on supporters to cover the May Day rallies in Glasgow, Edinburgh and Aberdeen with No2EU leaflets and to carry flags.

 

P0LL RESULT

 

In the Scottish EU poll on 4 June the No2EU platform secured 1 per cent of the vote across Scotland.

 

During the campaign No2EU held six public meetings in the main cities (smallest 30 and the biggest over 60 in attendance), organised street leaflet distributions on twenty different occasions from Dumfries to Aberdeen and participated in seven hustings meetings. 

 

 

Statement by Bob Crow on 14 June on tasks after the election

I will be joining Labour MP John McDonnell on the platform at Lambeth Town Hall on Tuesday 17 June for a key People's Charter public meeting which will address the fallout from the Euro poll and the election of two BNP fascists to the European Parliament.

RMT supports the People's Charter, which maps out a political vision based on public ownership, peace, sustainability and workers' rights as an alternative to the "race to the bottom" of the collapsing free-market capitalist system of the bankers and the speculators.

This was also the basis of the No2EU - Yes to Democracy electoral coalition which stood in the Euro elections on a platform of defending public services, against the privateers' charter that is the Lisbon Treaty and for workers' rights.

Sixty-six candidates including trade unionists, community activists, environmentalists, students and peace campaigners took part in over 100 public meetings across Britain putting the democratic alternative to a big business-dominated Europe.

The election was held against the background of the deepest economic crisis in living memory, an expenses scandal and the collapse in the Labour vote.

Over 60 per cent of voters in the election backed fringe parties opposed to the European Union in some form. In doing so they rejected Labour and the Lib Dems, which forced the Lisbon Treaty through Parliament, ratting on a promise to hold a referendum on the issue.

This rejection of the main political parties also directly led to the racist BNP winning two Euro seats. It is a shocking and unpalatable fact that many BNP votes came from traditional Labour voters.

The national media gave the BNP unprecedented news coverage despite the fact that the far-right party had no MEPs before the election, the excuse given for not giving media exposure to No2EU.

No2EU put forward a positive EU-critical message which exposed the neoliberal agenda at the heart of the EU which has produced directives privatising our railways, post offices and now our health service.

The People's Charter is also a rallying point for all those who are sick of the bankers, the sleaze, the corruption and the City spivs. We will also have to work hard to break through the media silence on progressive initiatives that give people hope and a different vision of the future.

No2EU and the Charter are alerting the public to the dangers of diktats that privatise our public services, of EU court rulings that curtail workers' rights and of the racist policies of the BNP.

This campaign will continue and must reach out to other organisations and unions to decide the best way forward. The Lambeth meeting will be a real opportunity to look at building support for the Charter.

Bob Crow is general secretary of union RMT