03.11.2005
Respect: Britain out of the EU?
Chris Bambery, editor of Socialist Worker, was at congress to represent Respect - and apply for Respect's full membership to the ELP. The Socialist Workers Party, of course, has previously been rather indifferent to moves towards European left cooperation and during the preparations for the European Social Forum tried to prevent "too many" meetings or seminars taking place on the question. Chris Nineham, the SWP's main representative in those preparations, declared more than once how "boring" he found Europe. As on so many other issues, the SWP does not readily volunteer its real position on Europe and one has to read very much between the lines to find out what exactly it is advocating. How interesting then to talk to a comrade from the Red-Green Alliance in Denmark, who told me she had just spoken to Bambery. She assured me that her own party was not alone in demanding a withdrawal from the European Union: "The comrade from Respect told me that they too want Britain to come out of the EU." The SWP famously has no programme - only a few paragraphs that explain "what we stand for" in Socialist Worker. Needless to say, Europe is not one of the issues covered. Respect, too, has not a single word to say about its vision for Europe. Is it really aping the Morning Star's Communist Party of Britain's impotent demand for Britain to withdraw from the EU? At ESF meetings, I have heard the SWP's various international sister groups making such noises, but we have yet to see any exposition of the SWP line. Also see related articles: * Tentative steps to unity Around 300 people attended the first congress of the European Left Party in Athens, October 29-30. The congress did not achieve much in terms of political clarity - but undoubtedly it was an advance in the cooperation of the left across Europe. Tina Becker reports * Realigning the left If the European Left Party does nothing else but bring to an end the multiplicity of ineffective umbrella organisations that exist on the European left, it will have achieved something. Let us look at a few of them. * Unification process Interview with Haris Golemis, a member of the central political committee of the Greek party Synaspismos (Coalition of the Left and Movements of Ecology) * Respect: Britain out of the EU? Chris Bambery told participants at the congress that Respect is for the British withdrawal from the European Union
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