Re: <nettime> notes from the DIEM25 launch

[David Garcia <d.garcia@new-tactical-research.co.uk>]

   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: