Democrat Editorial- March-April 2010
From primary schools to pensions
The European Commission has made a gross interference in the run-up to the General Election in Britain by demanding that the debt crisis must be resolved in line with the strict criteria of the EU’s Growth and Stability Pact.
Britain is in the penultimate stage of joining the eurozone and is subject to these critiera. The criteria are specifically designed to force EU Member States to cut public sector spending and Government borrowing and hand everything to the private sector. This is one key factor behind privatisation and cuts of everything in the public sector without any regard for the social consequences. At the same time it removes democratic accountability to undermine national and local representative democracy.
These demands by the Commission to make cuts in Public Expenditure are part of an EU wide onslaught by big capital in the form of the European Round Table of transnationals, European Commission and Germany in particular. These interests want the working class to "tighten their belts" and pay for and resolve the ills of the fiscal and economic crisis and to vote for politicians who will carry out their vested interests.
It is clear that for Britain, like Greece and other EU Member States in a similar situation, the only rational course is to recover fully the right to self-determination and national independence and democracy outside the EU.
Our Parliament with its elected MPs is the place to make our laws – not Brussels – and we must elect MPs prepared to put people first. They should pay no more money into the EU and reject all EU directives (laws) which are not in the people’s interests. The following include the demands that must be made:
* End the massive gap between the rich and poor and make Britain a force for peace in the world;
* Ensure the nationalised banks invest in Britain’s future, help regenerate the economy and provide training and jobs, particularly for young people;
* Renationalise the energy and water companies and reduce prices;
* Adequately fund public services, such as the NHS, and end the wasteful PFI;
* Embark on a massive house building programme to help solve the housing crisis;
* End off-shore tax havens and tax loopholes taken advantage of by the rich;
* Withdraw our troops from Iraq and Afghanistan;
* Scrap Trident and replace with a defence strategy that will defend Britain; and
* Adopt a policy of friendship, co-operation and trade with all nation-states, including those in the EU.