Full disclosure here: I'm currently a British ex-pat living in Spain. For those of you who would like to discredit everything I say because of this fact, stop reading now.
Right that's the idiots out of the way. For the rest of you, I'd just like to say that my current living situation brings with it some bias on the subject of the EU. I acknowledge and accept that, but my opinion on Britain's membership of the EU has remained the same since even before my migration.
The EU Referendum is being relentlessly debated throughout the UK. There is literally nowhere to hide from the looming vote on the 23rd June, and everywhere we turn, reasons for Britain to leave or stay within the European Union are being shoveled down our throats faster than a toilet flush. It's exhausting. Issues such as immigration, the economy, world trade, worker's rights and sovereignty are dominating the debate inside and outside of parliament, but that's not all. There isn't a single aspect of British life that isn't being turned into ammunition for either side of the debate. Benefits, animal welfare, food prices, fishing management, holiday costs and fox hunting are just a handful of points being used to persuade people one way of the other. Often the same points are being used by both sides. I even seen someone pledge a vote to leave for fear of the EU destroying the sport of Airsoft. No wonder people are confused with all the fear-mongering and hysteria.
When I started writing this piece, I wanted to critically analyse the facts in order to give a balanced review of the arguments being thrown around. The problem is that the facts are constantly being manipulated and misrepresented on both sides to influence the public. The truth is, in order to truly gain understanding of the issue, we need to be analysing the people giving us the information also. We need to understand the underlying motivations for leaving the EU, and remaining within the EU.
Ideologies
Political ideologies are strong motivators for manipulating facts, so I'll start with the ideologies guiding the arguments either side.
Conservatism
Conservatism can mean many things, but as a general principal can apply to those who resist change. In party politics, the conservatives seek to conserve capitalism, and the wealth of the Conservative party is a key factor. This one goal is the driving factor of the decision making process: Will leaving the EU help the capitalist economy? The Tories are divided on this, with recent statistics showing the Remain:Leave ratio at 171:131. (1)
The conservatives have had a history of causing riots and public outrage in the UK. In 1990, Margaret Thatcher resigned in the same year as causing the Poll Tax Riots.(2) Already we can see that there is a section of the working class that lacks confidence and trust in the current UK government led by David Cameron, so staying in power is another key objective. This is a possible cause of the split opinion amongst Tory cabinet members with a populist agenda.
Socialism
The socialist tendency factors into the debate for some of the members of the Labour party. Freedom of movement and multiculturalism are ideals that guide the centre-left, as well as a plan to reform the EU.
Referred to as the 'soft-left' by other left groups, this consists of a large percentage of labour. The wealth of Labour mps is a motivator here, as well as pressures from left groups such as Socialist Fight, who seek to influence Labour with socialist values. It is fair to note that there are many millionaire labour members also, so the comfort of a wealthy lifestyle can tempt individuals to abandon the root anti-capitalist ideals of socialist thought. Nevertheless the Remain:Leave ratio stood at 218:10 (1), so there is clearly more unity in the Labour camp. The furthering of political careers within the EU, has been suggested as a key motivator for decisions within Labour.
The Socialist Worker's Party are voting out with the Left-exit (Lexit) campaign in order for reasons opposing those of the Brexit campaign. The Lexiters are pushing for a stronger UK outside the EU, where worker's rights and public services are key, with an aim to dismantle the EU for being undemocratic and pro-capitalist.
Imperialism
British pro-imperialist ideology doesn't stop at the armed forces, there are large sections of the working class that take great pride in the British Empire, and smaller sections would see it restored to it's prime, so this is an obvious motivation for leaving the 'European superstate'. Though there is no strictly imperialist party, slogans 'Believe in Britain' tie in with imperialist philosophy.
Reformism
Reformists believe that the capitalist system can be reformed to make it fairer and better. In the case of the referendum, the reformists accept the flaws of the EU and seek to change it from within.
The Green Party seeks to protect free movement, and has a 'vision for a better Europe'. Reforming the EU seems to be their long term plan, so they are campaigning for a remain vote. The Green Party have been in power in other countries within the EU, and the EU proportional voting system makes it easier for smaller parties to get elected. Naturally, remaining in the EU would be beneficial to The Greens, who struggle to break the Lab/Con hold over UK votes.
Nationalists and Fascists
The far-right groups like the National Front, British National Party and English Defence League are fuelled by xenophobia and a sense of entitlement, and led by neo-nazi ideology. Needless to say they are voting out. The more socially acceptable nationalist groups like the UK Independence party also want out of the EU, and play on working class attitudes towards immigration to encourage a leave vote.
Anarchists
The anarchist ideology seeks to abolish all governments, so naturally this philosophy would lead to an out vote.
Pragmatics
Ideologies aside, there are practical consequences to the referendum, whichever way it goes. Pragmatism is defined by google as 'dealing with things sensibly and realistically in a way that is based on practical rather than theoretical considerations'. Finding the relevant information to make a pragmatic decision is a task in itself, as ideologists use the information to fit with their own hegemony, and 'floating voters', for want of a better term, can be swayed by a single practical implication of the referendum. I've examined a few of the arguments for either side.
Immigration
UKIP uses immigration to convince voters to vote leave, and mainstream newspapers like The Daily Mail reinforces anti-immigration attitudes by persistently displaying migrants in a negative light. Immigration rarely strays far from the UK media. Concerns that foreign migrants seeking asylum are responsible for unemployment, crime and terrorism are being preyed upon by even the centre-right 'Out' camp. The debate about whether net immigration is good for the economy is another, more complicated factor here.
Net Migration UK
Immigration into the UK has risen this last decade according to the National Office of Statistics, though the latest quarterly report shows a decrease from last year. (1) There is a debate amongst politicians and businesses about whether net immigration is good for the UK economy.
A 2015 Economics Help article used statistics from the ONS to gauge the issue, evaluating the impact of net immigration on the UK economy, though it is somewhat inconclusive in that it raises more questions than answers. (see the article here). It concludes that house prices are pushed up by net immigration, but many variables have to be considered when establishing the impact on the UK economy. (2) The Open Borders Manifesto is made up of practicing economists, and while it's true a minority believe in truly open borders (an ideological belief), many members agree that immigration is key to economic health. (3)
The immigration factor also has a flip side, British emigration. Although the net figure takes Brits living abroad into account, the argument for leaving the EU does little to secure the lives of British expats (760,000 have lives in Spain alone). Mariano Rajoy has stated that Brits in Spain will forfeit rights to live in the EU should Brexit go through. (4) True this could be a scare tactic, but the uncertainty is stark.
In the case of Gibraltar, who thrive due to a relatively open border with Spain, the decision will have very direct consequences. Returning to the days of Franco's closed border might seem unrealistic to some in the UK, but to those Gibraltarians who still remember those days, it is a very real fear. The Chief Minister of Gibraltar Fabian Picardo has expressed his fears that Spain will push for sovereignty should Brexit go ahead. (5) The latest polls in Gibraltar show that many share Picardo's concerns.
Sovereignty
The idea of sovereignty has become more and more emotive as the campaign has started. The idea that unelected bureaucrats run the EU, passing laws that apply to the UK is one of the main arguments against the EU. The nationalists and the fascists are jumping on this band-wagon, as well as the Lexiters and the SWP.
Laws in the European Parliament are proposed by the European Commission, then voted on by the European Parliament. (6) This is very similar to the House of Lords and the process used to implement laws in the UK, so those who are voting against the EU purely on a basis of democracy and not xenophobia, should be protesting the House of Lords also. That's fine for the Lexiters of course, who already oppose the House of Lords for it's unelected membership. (7)
The Brexiters are spreading that 'most of our laws are made in Brussels', but when you look into the facts, the analysis is murky at best, which percentage figures ranging from 10% to 70%. (8)
Trade
Europe is the UK's biggest market, receiving over half of all British exports. (9) The worry here is that if Britain leave the EU, we will lose access to this single common market. The argument is that the EU is restricting our trade opportunities with our countries and continents, though Britain does have trade agreements with North America and Africa.
Whilst it is true trade agreements can be reached without EU membership, there is a degree of uncertainty for what's to come. Both sides of the debate are using Norway as an example, the leave camp are using Norway as an example of how a trade deal can be reached without EU membership, whilst the remain camp are pointing out that Norway a contribution for permission to trade with the EU, without receiving the benefits of membership. (10)
NHS
The NHS is an issue close to many people's hearts, though it is unclear what effect the vote will have, considering current Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt co-authored a book calling for privatisation of the NHS. (11) Private healthcare is rife throughout Europe, so the question is, who will privatise the NHS quicker? The UK Government or the EU Parliament. (12) The same applies for the TTIP, it is unclear whether a 'leave' will actually help fight the TTIP, or whether it will be easier to implement.
Opinion
Calling it Lexit instead of Brexit and saying it's for different reasons, will still have the same result. Lexiters argue leaving now will dismantle the EU, yet ignore claims that it will legitimise right wing ideas and make life worse for Britain's working classes. Denouncing 'fortress Europe' by abandoning it will only serve to distance the British working class from European struggle, and the gap is already quite huge. It may even lead to a 'fortress Britain' scenario.
I've seen individuals from far left groups launching diatribes against left-wingers who are voting to remain. It's ironic that the same people who constantly call for unity and solidarity are dividing the left with their inability to hold a constructive debate without resorting to name calling and intellectual snobbery.
The right-wing Brexiters want out of the EU to stop immigration primarily. The left-wing Lexiters wish to dismantle the EU. The common denominator here is that both are approaching the referendum from an emotional or ideological perspective. Just like suggesting that all governments are abolished overnight, there are practical considerations being ignored. Putting the working class standard of living at risk just to take a stand against the EU is irresponsible, meanwhile the far-right are waiting in the wings, ready to reverse or amend certain worker's rights legislations to benefit business.
Fear is a big motivation throughout this campaign. The far-right fear 'Islamification' and terrorism, peddled by mainstream media and political agendas, while the far-left fear 'Fortress Europe'. Ideologically, a self-governing nation is a goal to strive for, but the cost would outweigh the benefit at this time. Waves of strikes across the EU are being brandished by Lexiters to reinforce their Eurosceptism, though on the contrary it shows that political movement is possible and current within the EU. The same comrades who applaud Podemos are suggesting a move that distances the UK working class further from EU struggle. It's almost like certain sections of the revolutionary left are looking for a working class victory, any victory, even if it means aligning with the far right. A Brexit victory, even if we call it Lexit, will still legitimise xenophobia amongst the working class.
With the uncertainty that a Brexit victory would bring, I think that it would be better to have influence on both institutions, the UK government and the EU Parliament.
Information is being manipulated to buy votes from both camps, trying to adapt to working class hegemony. On the 23rd of June, we shouldn't be making an ideological choice, but a pragmatic one. I believe that remaining within the EU will benefit the working class more than leaving.
1. http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-eu-referendum-35616946
2. https://libcom.org/files/poll-tax-rebellion.pdf
3. http://www.economicshelp.org/blog/6399/economics/impact-of-immigration-on-uk-economy/
4. http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/jun/02/brexit-vote-could-affect-brits-right-live-in-spain-spanish-pm-mariano-rajoy
5. http://www.politico.eu/article/brexit-would-destroy-gilbraltar/
6. http://europa.eu/eu-law/decision-making/procedures/index_en.htm
7. http://www.parliament.uk/about/mps-and-lords/about-lords/lords-appointment/
8. https://fullfact.org/europe/uk-law-what-proportion-influenced-eu/
9. http://www.worldstopexports.com/united-kingdoms-top-exports/
10. http://www.eu-norway.org/eu/Financial-contribution/#.V2PPl7srLIU
11. https://whatwouldvirchowdo.wordpress.com/2015/09/24/weve-found-jeremy-hunts-book-and-yes-he-does-want-to-privatise-the-nhs/
12. http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/how-the-nhs-is-being-dismantled-in-10-easy-steps-10474075.html
Right that's the idiots out of the way. For the rest of you, I'd just like to say that my current living situation brings with it some bias on the subject of the EU. I acknowledge and accept that, but my opinion on Britain's membership of the EU has remained the same since even before my migration.
The EU Referendum is being relentlessly debated throughout the UK. There is literally nowhere to hide from the looming vote on the 23rd June, and everywhere we turn, reasons for Britain to leave or stay within the European Union are being shoveled down our throats faster than a toilet flush. It's exhausting. Issues such as immigration, the economy, world trade, worker's rights and sovereignty are dominating the debate inside and outside of parliament, but that's not all. There isn't a single aspect of British life that isn't being turned into ammunition for either side of the debate. Benefits, animal welfare, food prices, fishing management, holiday costs and fox hunting are just a handful of points being used to persuade people one way of the other. Often the same points are being used by both sides. I even seen someone pledge a vote to leave for fear of the EU destroying the sport of Airsoft. No wonder people are confused with all the fear-mongering and hysteria.
When I started writing this piece, I wanted to critically analyse the facts in order to give a balanced review of the arguments being thrown around. The problem is that the facts are constantly being manipulated and misrepresented on both sides to influence the public. The truth is, in order to truly gain understanding of the issue, we need to be analysing the people giving us the information also. We need to understand the underlying motivations for leaving the EU, and remaining within the EU.
Ideologies
Political ideologies are strong motivators for manipulating facts, so I'll start with the ideologies guiding the arguments either side.
Conservatism
Conservatism can mean many things, but as a general principal can apply to those who resist change. In party politics, the conservatives seek to conserve capitalism, and the wealth of the Conservative party is a key factor. This one goal is the driving factor of the decision making process: Will leaving the EU help the capitalist economy? The Tories are divided on this, with recent statistics showing the Remain:Leave ratio at 171:131. (1)
The conservatives have had a history of causing riots and public outrage in the UK. In 1990, Margaret Thatcher resigned in the same year as causing the Poll Tax Riots.(2) Already we can see that there is a section of the working class that lacks confidence and trust in the current UK government led by David Cameron, so staying in power is another key objective. This is a possible cause of the split opinion amongst Tory cabinet members with a populist agenda.
Socialism
The socialist tendency factors into the debate for some of the members of the Labour party. Freedom of movement and multiculturalism are ideals that guide the centre-left, as well as a plan to reform the EU.
Referred to as the 'soft-left' by other left groups, this consists of a large percentage of labour. The wealth of Labour mps is a motivator here, as well as pressures from left groups such as Socialist Fight, who seek to influence Labour with socialist values. It is fair to note that there are many millionaire labour members also, so the comfort of a wealthy lifestyle can tempt individuals to abandon the root anti-capitalist ideals of socialist thought. Nevertheless the Remain:Leave ratio stood at 218:10 (1), so there is clearly more unity in the Labour camp. The furthering of political careers within the EU, has been suggested as a key motivator for decisions within Labour.
The Socialist Worker's Party are voting out with the Left-exit (Lexit) campaign in order for reasons opposing those of the Brexit campaign. The Lexiters are pushing for a stronger UK outside the EU, where worker's rights and public services are key, with an aim to dismantle the EU for being undemocratic and pro-capitalist.
Imperialism
British pro-imperialist ideology doesn't stop at the armed forces, there are large sections of the working class that take great pride in the British Empire, and smaller sections would see it restored to it's prime, so this is an obvious motivation for leaving the 'European superstate'. Though there is no strictly imperialist party, slogans 'Believe in Britain' tie in with imperialist philosophy.
Reformism
Reformists believe that the capitalist system can be reformed to make it fairer and better. In the case of the referendum, the reformists accept the flaws of the EU and seek to change it from within.
The Green Party seeks to protect free movement, and has a 'vision for a better Europe'. Reforming the EU seems to be their long term plan, so they are campaigning for a remain vote. The Green Party have been in power in other countries within the EU, and the EU proportional voting system makes it easier for smaller parties to get elected. Naturally, remaining in the EU would be beneficial to The Greens, who struggle to break the Lab/Con hold over UK votes.
Nationalists and Fascists
The far-right groups like the National Front, British National Party and English Defence League are fuelled by xenophobia and a sense of entitlement, and led by neo-nazi ideology. Needless to say they are voting out. The more socially acceptable nationalist groups like the UK Independence party also want out of the EU, and play on working class attitudes towards immigration to encourage a leave vote.
Anarchists
The anarchist ideology seeks to abolish all governments, so naturally this philosophy would lead to an out vote.
Pragmatics
Ideologies aside, there are practical consequences to the referendum, whichever way it goes. Pragmatism is defined by google as 'dealing with things sensibly and realistically in a way that is based on practical rather than theoretical considerations'. Finding the relevant information to make a pragmatic decision is a task in itself, as ideologists use the information to fit with their own hegemony, and 'floating voters', for want of a better term, can be swayed by a single practical implication of the referendum. I've examined a few of the arguments for either side.
Immigration
UKIP uses immigration to convince voters to vote leave, and mainstream newspapers like The Daily Mail reinforces anti-immigration attitudes by persistently displaying migrants in a negative light. Immigration rarely strays far from the UK media. Concerns that foreign migrants seeking asylum are responsible for unemployment, crime and terrorism are being preyed upon by even the centre-right 'Out' camp. The debate about whether net immigration is good for the economy is another, more complicated factor here.
Net Migration UK
Immigration into the UK has risen this last decade according to the National Office of Statistics, though the latest quarterly report shows a decrease from last year. (1) There is a debate amongst politicians and businesses about whether net immigration is good for the UK economy.
A 2015 Economics Help article used statistics from the ONS to gauge the issue, evaluating the impact of net immigration on the UK economy, though it is somewhat inconclusive in that it raises more questions than answers. (see the article here). It concludes that house prices are pushed up by net immigration, but many variables have to be considered when establishing the impact on the UK economy. (2) The Open Borders Manifesto is made up of practicing economists, and while it's true a minority believe in truly open borders (an ideological belief), many members agree that immigration is key to economic health. (3)
The immigration factor also has a flip side, British emigration. Although the net figure takes Brits living abroad into account, the argument for leaving the EU does little to secure the lives of British expats (760,000 have lives in Spain alone). Mariano Rajoy has stated that Brits in Spain will forfeit rights to live in the EU should Brexit go through. (4) True this could be a scare tactic, but the uncertainty is stark.
In the case of Gibraltar, who thrive due to a relatively open border with Spain, the decision will have very direct consequences. Returning to the days of Franco's closed border might seem unrealistic to some in the UK, but to those Gibraltarians who still remember those days, it is a very real fear. The Chief Minister of Gibraltar Fabian Picardo has expressed his fears that Spain will push for sovereignty should Brexit go ahead. (5) The latest polls in Gibraltar show that many share Picardo's concerns.
Sovereignty
The idea of sovereignty has become more and more emotive as the campaign has started. The idea that unelected bureaucrats run the EU, passing laws that apply to the UK is one of the main arguments against the EU. The nationalists and the fascists are jumping on this band-wagon, as well as the Lexiters and the SWP.
Laws in the European Parliament are proposed by the European Commission, then voted on by the European Parliament. (6) This is very similar to the House of Lords and the process used to implement laws in the UK, so those who are voting against the EU purely on a basis of democracy and not xenophobia, should be protesting the House of Lords also. That's fine for the Lexiters of course, who already oppose the House of Lords for it's unelected membership. (7)
The Brexiters are spreading that 'most of our laws are made in Brussels', but when you look into the facts, the analysis is murky at best, which percentage figures ranging from 10% to 70%. (8)
Trade
Europe is the UK's biggest market, receiving over half of all British exports. (9) The worry here is that if Britain leave the EU, we will lose access to this single common market. The argument is that the EU is restricting our trade opportunities with our countries and continents, though Britain does have trade agreements with North America and Africa.
Whilst it is true trade agreements can be reached without EU membership, there is a degree of uncertainty for what's to come. Both sides of the debate are using Norway as an example, the leave camp are using Norway as an example of how a trade deal can be reached without EU membership, whilst the remain camp are pointing out that Norway a contribution for permission to trade with the EU, without receiving the benefits of membership. (10)
NHS
The NHS is an issue close to many people's hearts, though it is unclear what effect the vote will have, considering current Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt co-authored a book calling for privatisation of the NHS. (11) Private healthcare is rife throughout Europe, so the question is, who will privatise the NHS quicker? The UK Government or the EU Parliament. (12) The same applies for the TTIP, it is unclear whether a 'leave' will actually help fight the TTIP, or whether it will be easier to implement.
Opinion
Calling it Lexit instead of Brexit and saying it's for different reasons, will still have the same result. Lexiters argue leaving now will dismantle the EU, yet ignore claims that it will legitimise right wing ideas and make life worse for Britain's working classes. Denouncing 'fortress Europe' by abandoning it will only serve to distance the British working class from European struggle, and the gap is already quite huge. It may even lead to a 'fortress Britain' scenario.
I've seen individuals from far left groups launching diatribes against left-wingers who are voting to remain. It's ironic that the same people who constantly call for unity and solidarity are dividing the left with their inability to hold a constructive debate without resorting to name calling and intellectual snobbery.
The right-wing Brexiters want out of the EU to stop immigration primarily. The left-wing Lexiters wish to dismantle the EU. The common denominator here is that both are approaching the referendum from an emotional or ideological perspective. Just like suggesting that all governments are abolished overnight, there are practical considerations being ignored. Putting the working class standard of living at risk just to take a stand against the EU is irresponsible, meanwhile the far-right are waiting in the wings, ready to reverse or amend certain worker's rights legislations to benefit business.
Fear is a big motivation throughout this campaign. The far-right fear 'Islamification' and terrorism, peddled by mainstream media and political agendas, while the far-left fear 'Fortress Europe'. Ideologically, a self-governing nation is a goal to strive for, but the cost would outweigh the benefit at this time. Waves of strikes across the EU are being brandished by Lexiters to reinforce their Eurosceptism, though on the contrary it shows that political movement is possible and current within the EU. The same comrades who applaud Podemos are suggesting a move that distances the UK working class further from EU struggle. It's almost like certain sections of the revolutionary left are looking for a working class victory, any victory, even if it means aligning with the far right. A Brexit victory, even if we call it Lexit, will still legitimise xenophobia amongst the working class.
With the uncertainty that a Brexit victory would bring, I think that it would be better to have influence on both institutions, the UK government and the EU Parliament.
Information is being manipulated to buy votes from both camps, trying to adapt to working class hegemony. On the 23rd of June, we shouldn't be making an ideological choice, but a pragmatic one. I believe that remaining within the EU will benefit the working class more than leaving.
1. http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-eu-referendum-35616946
2. https://libcom.org/files/poll-tax-rebellion.pdf
3. http://www.economicshelp.org/blog/6399/economics/impact-of-immigration-on-uk-economy/
4. http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/jun/02/brexit-vote-could-affect-brits-right-live-in-spain-spanish-pm-mariano-rajoy
5. http://www.politico.eu/article/brexit-would-destroy-gilbraltar/
6. http://europa.eu/eu-law/decision-making/procedures/index_en.htm
7. http://www.parliament.uk/about/mps-and-lords/about-lords/lords-appointment/
8. https://fullfact.org/europe/uk-law-what-proportion-influenced-eu/
9. http://www.worldstopexports.com/united-kingdoms-top-exports/
10. http://www.eu-norway.org/eu/Financial-contribution/#.V2PPl7srLIU
11. https://whatwouldvirchowdo.wordpress.com/2015/09/24/weve-found-jeremy-hunts-book-and-yes-he-does-want-to-privatise-the-nhs/
12. http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/how-the-nhs-is-being-dismantled-in-10-easy-steps-10474075.html
