this post was submitted on 18 Sep 2023
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[–] [email protected] 17 points 1 year ago (5 children)

Why is Labour not even presenting the option to rejoin? As a foreigner, it just sounds like they’re taking a Conservative-lite position, “We’re for the same things they’re for, but we’ll do them better!” Or is rejoining the EU just political suicide at the moment, what’s done is done?

[–] [email protected] 15 points 1 year ago

it just sounds like they’re taking a Conservative-lite position,

Nail on head. Labour care more about courting shy Tories than they do about the left wing electorate. I understand statistically why they have to do that but it doesn't make it suck any less to be a fan of left wing politics in the UK and have your two choices be Tory or Tory-lite.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Why is Labour not even presenting the option to rejoin?

I'm a remainer, I marched. The answer is that to do so, would be to present the Tories with the one slim chance they have of winning.I might not like it, you migt not like it, but it's true.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

Yep, the vast majority of press in the UK are unequivocally still for Brexit for various reasons, and pro Tory. Starmer is playing the "give them nothing to get hold of" game.

Doubt it will work when they managed to turn eating a bacon sarnie into a drama, they'll make something up.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Because the Tories have upset everyone internationally, so it isn't really an option. If you've been paying attention the EU has been playing a bunch of jobsworth type games with the UK.

Notice how he will do this in 2025, when the current agreement is up for renewel rather than immediately.

You also have the fact rejoin isn't winding the clock back to 2016, firstly we would loose all of our opt outs, things like the rebate, the euro, etc.. I don't think the reality would actually be popular.

Secondly the UK blocked a number of things like the EU Army (personally I think its a terrible idea, countries that don't spend enough looking to combine to "save" money) so it isn't the same EU.

Lastly see above mentioned jobsworth behaviour, I would not be surprised if the EU demanded the UK to complete all the paperwork of a new joiner and drag the process out as long as possible (it takes ~10 years for most countries).

Far better to put the UK on a stable footing and then ask if EU membership is something the UK still wants. It took the 13 years to get to this point, so its unlikely everything will be fixed during the next government. So why bring something like rejoining up?

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago

The UK joining the Common Market was a Thatcher thing. Old school lefties opposed it at the time because it put limits on state aid, and weakened the positions of the unions.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

What Labour supporters in the South and guardian readers don't like to admit it's that theres are Labour voters in the North that voted passionately for Brexit. Not going full send on Brexit gifts the Tories a majority in any election as Corbyn proved whilst he was beaten by a literal children's entertainer Boris Johnson.

Starmer wants to win the next election, and so he should. But he can't afford to even be seen as trying to rejoin. Because Labour voters in the (predominately) North will vote Tory again. If he wants to win... and win big.... he's calculated that he needs to appeal to Tony Blair loving Labour voters in the South and Brexitier Labour voters in the North.

Or is rejoining the EU just political suicide at the moment

Yeah pretty much. Plus no-one is going to vote Lib Dems that might offer a rejoin choice because we're to upset at them about tuition fees apparently 🤷.