Campaign against Euro-federalism
Statement post 23 June 2016 Referendum on
Britain's EU Membership
The Alternative for Britain
The BREXIT victory on 23 June was for democracy and the right of Britain to self-determination and a rejection of 'globalisation' and attempt at the imposition of neo-liberalism by trans-national corporations.
However, until this victory is consolidated by first invoking article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty, Britain remains in the EU prison house of nation states.
Britain leaving the EU entails completely dumping the European Single Market with its disastrous 'free movement of capital, goods services and labour' initially introduced with the 1986 Single European Act signed by the Thatcher Government.
The rational path which must be taken includes an economy based on manufacturing, steel, shipbuilding, cleaned up coal, agriculture, control of borders and fishing grounds from the sea bed to the space above. This will create wealth to fully fund the NHS, welfare state, education and goods to trade across the world. Britain has to reindustrialise: otherwise what is the working class going to do? The services, banking and finance sectors do not create wealth. London's financial centre has very little to do with Britain's economy.
The English working class, in the former heartlands of industrial Britain, which were the backbone of the labour movement, voted to leave the EU to rid themselves of the common EU austerity policy, against rampant unemployment and much more. Many others voted to bring a halt to the free movement of cheap labour such as Boston in agricultural Lincolnshire, Fleetwood on the coast of Lancashire, the West Country, South East to the North East and Wales.
The fundamental issue of democracy, which only works within a nation-state, has to be brought to the fore in discussions and campaigning to ensure Britain gets out of the EU. This has to be linked to the importance of the powers of government on behalf of the sovereign multi-racial, multi-nation-state of Britain. This includes control over the movement of capital and people entering Britain.
Iceland has made a trade agreement with China. The sovereign Isle of Man, which is not part of the UK, trades in goods with the EU without putting anything in or taking anything out of the EU. Greenland was the first country to leave the EU and thrives. Britain as the fifth richest country in the world 'can surely stand on its own feet'.
All the above requires policies to be put in place, especially by all elements of the labour and trade union movement on behalf of all those who work for their living and for the future development of Britain, especially young people, and its economy. That means dumping persistent illusions of a 'Social Europe' and the craving for an impossible socialist 'Europe' based on a misconception of 'internationalism'.
TTIP, CETA, ISDS, TiSA and MODE 4* must be stopped which is why Article 50 has to be triggered ASAP. If they are not stopped the broadside attack to the detriment of all forms of democracy and the right to self-determination will be pressed home and nullify the June 23rd Referendum victory. CAEF calls for:
• The triggering of Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty now.
• An alternative economy based on manufacturing, steel, shipbuilding, cleaned up coal, agriculture and fisheries.
• Trade across the world, including with EU Member States.
• Withdrawal from all negotiations on TTIP, CETA, ISDS, TiSA and Mode 4*.
• Complete withdrawal from the European Single Market.
• Rejection of any involvement with the European Economic Area (EEA).
• Control of borders.
• The end to austerity policies and restoration of the welfare state and a fully funded NHS.
The above will facilitate an economy to create wealth for the benefit of the peoples of Britain and its rational development which must be used to contribute to peace in the world.
[Executive Committee 16 July 2016]
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*TTIP – Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership between the US and EU.
CETA – Comprehensive Economic Trade Agreement between Canada and EU.
ISDS – Inter-state Dispute Settlement – Secret tribunals and courts over and above national courts, parliaments and governments
TiSA – Trade in Services Agreement – Includes rights of employers inn 37 sectors to move labour across 52 nations including the EU and US according to Mode 4 provisions of the WTO.
Mode 4 – Fourth mode of WTO cross border trade in services.