David Garcia on Sun, 14 Feb 2016 03:27:47 +0100 (CET) |
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Re: <nettime> notes from the DIEM25 launch |
Where is the British Labor party's new radical leadership under Corbyn in relationship to the Diem initiative? Is it my imagination or is it non-existent? This is not simply a parochial question as within months a generational in/out referendum will be taking place in the UK and the result could change the shape of the EU. It is at this key moment that the Corbyn team appears to be allowing the discussion of our membership to be conducted entirely in terms set by business leaders who are setting the agenda. Only the Greens under the redoubtable Caroline Lucas appears to have a sense of the importance of a wider, regional picture. Allthough the British Labor party are not as openly fractured on this issue the nature of their contribution to the campaign feels at best "luke warm", meekly trailing alongside the "in" campaign. No wonder as it is directed by former boss of Marks and Spencer, Stuart Rose, a fact that gives some idea of the parameters within which the case for remaining part of the EU will be made. I had hoped that possibly "Momentum" the organisation that represents the grass roots activists instrumental in bringing Corbyn to power, would seek to radicalise Labour's position. But in their list of campaigns on the Momentum website the European question appears entirely absent. It is worth recalling that Corbyn's mentor, Tony Benn, the leading standard-bearer for Labour's left in exile, was a long time opponant of Britain's membership. But although, after some delay, Corbyn agreed that Labor should campaign as part of the "in" group, though there is a strong sense of him "holding his nose". So I am struggling to see where Corbyn/Labor (as oppose to the Labour MPs who mostly detest the Corbyn insurgency) really stand on this. Lately he has been travelling accross Europe meeting fellow Socialists but I have no idea whether this extends to support or discussions that would connect him with Diem or whether the goal of democratising the asphyxiating European institutions is even on his radar. This would at least give Labor something other than folowing Cameron's fig leaf reforms to fight for. But my fear is that Corbyn's vision (on this issue) remains as parochial and "conservative" as ever and is worrying at a time when an opportuinity arises to be part of a radical European movement it looks like he just isnt that interested. I hope I'm wrong. ----------------------------------------------- d a v i d g a r c i a # distributed via <nettime>: no commercial use without permission # <nettime> is a moderated mailing list for net criticism, # collaborative text filtering and cultural politics of the nets # more info: http://mx.kein.org/mailman/listinfo/nettime-l # archive: http://www.nettime.org contact: nettime@kein.org # @nettime_bot tweets mail w/ sender unless #ANON is in Subject: