I had it on good authority at the Climate Change Trade Union Conference on Saturday that Bob Crowe of the RMT is due to hold a press conference on Thursday at which he will announce that he is standing at the head of a list in the London region for the European Parliament. The new group will be called 'No to the EU. Yes to Democracy'. They will probably put up candidates in other regions also. They are being supported by the Socialist Party and the Communist Party of Britain, along with some of the SWP. Respect, from what I heard, has not taken a decision, but George Galloway is said to be opposed. Some Respect members I spoke to said that the candidates would be "massacred".
The problem is that by starting so close to the elections and although having considerabel union resources at their disposal, they will not gain a seat. However, they could inflict considerable damage on the Green Party - unless, of course, they draw away some of the Labour anti-EU vote who would otherwise have voted for the BNP.
Having worked hard with the Green Party Trade Union Group to build bridges with the RMT and also been on their picket lines I am particularly disappointed by this development. The Green Party has a policy of renationalising the railways and our policies on Europe are very close to those of the RMT. We are opposed to the Lisbon Treaty and have supported abolition of the Working Time Directive Opt Out and other measures supportive of workers rights.
As Tony Kearns of the CWU said at the conference on Saturday: "We have to abandon our sectarian positions and work together as one movement towards preventing climate change and creating a more equal society." I regard this move, if it is indeed the case, as a retrograde step.
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Absolutely. It is strategically disastrous, and will serve no purpose other than to waste RMT members money. Extraordinarily foolish.
ReplyDeleteBob CROW has not taken an E although this decision makes him appear as though he might be under the influence.
ReplyDeleteI doubt this will have too much of an impact on the Green vote. Still, two steps forward (a union getting involved in politics) one step back (not backing the best alternative to Labour)
ReplyDeleteI hope you are right Charlie but with London having lost one of its Euro seats already and now down to 8, this will be an extremely tight race.
ReplyDeleteThe problem is that although London's population has grown, the number of seats is based on the numbers registered to vote. A lot will depend on the many citizens from continental Europe living in the city, especially Eastern Europeans.