Exclusive: Paul Nowak acknowledges voters’ frustrations but says Reform UK hasn’t got the answers, and urges Keir Starmer to resist any move to the right
Oh that’s great to read that the trade unions are now pushing for the Labour to abandon Brexit and rejoin the EU and allow freedom of movement back into the UK.
Sorry if I’ve got it wrong but this implies you want to be out of the EU.
I think you’re reading too much into an internet comment 😊.
It simply means that I am surprised the trade unions are now enthusiastic about the EU when they’ve been historically hyper critical of freedom of movement and cheap European labour. Trade unions, given they are the biggest donors of the Labour Party in the UK, could quite easily demand reintegration with the EU at the next Labour Party conference. “Reintegrate with the EU or lose Trade Union votes and money”. But they don’t… and won’t. Which is why I’m surprised at this comment in the article.
I definitely think we should rejoin. Mistake to leave in the first place. I just don’t think this government has the balls to tell the electorate to shut up and take us back in.
Yes but these were never used. Let’s not rehash the Brexit debates all over again, suffice to say that the Tony Benn, Jeremy Corbyn school of Labour / unions never liked mass immigration of cheap European workers diluting the bargaining power they have. No government was going to enact these rules (in fact the previous Labour government happily opened the border to a huge wave of new migrants) so the union MPs and members often expressed scepticism towards the EU and FOM. Corbyn was compleletly absent from the referendum debate because he ultimately doesn’t believe in FOM. Brexit provided them an opportunity to realise an end to this because the government wasn’t willing to help them.
Sorry if I’ve got it wrong but this implies you want to be out of the EU.
It doesn’t though? I mean it could be sarcastic, but that’s not a given.
You’re right, it might be sarcasm. That’s why I asked if they thought Brexit was a good thing.
I think you’re reading too much into an internet comment 😊.
It simply means that I am surprised the trade unions are now enthusiastic about the EU when they’ve been historically hyper critical of freedom of movement and cheap European labour. Trade unions, given they are the biggest donors of the Labour Party in the UK, could quite easily demand reintegration with the EU at the next Labour Party conference. “Reintegrate with the EU or lose Trade Union votes and money”. But they don’t… and won’t. Which is why I’m surprised at this comment in the article.
Cheers for clarifying. On reflection that “oh” at the start should have given it away.
No worries.
I definitely think we should rejoin. Mistake to leave in the first place. I just don’t think this government has the balls to tell the electorate to shut up and take us back in.
The EU rules on FoM include the ability of states to prevent the abuses the unions were concerned over.
Yes but these were never used. Let’s not rehash the Brexit debates all over again, suffice to say that the Tony Benn, Jeremy Corbyn school of Labour / unions never liked mass immigration of cheap European workers diluting the bargaining power they have. No government was going to enact these rules (in fact the previous Labour government happily opened the border to a huge wave of new migrants) so the union MPs and members often expressed scepticism towards the EU and FOM. Corbyn was compleletly absent from the referendum debate because he ultimately doesn’t believe in FOM. Brexit provided them an opportunity to realise an end to this because the government wasn’t willing to help them.