The Left and Europe By the Tribune group of Labour MPs Reviewed by Dave Osler The Left and Europe, a new pamphlet from the Tribune group of Labour MPs, Is a serious contribution to the socialist debate on Maastricht.
It rightly comes down hard against radfication, recognising that The central driving force behinc Maastricht is the competive single market. Price, currency and interest rate stablity predominate, together with Sight ree strictions on public borrowing and debt, almost regardless of the consequences for employ: ment, growth and redistribudion." treaty's overt aim of a united capitalist Europe, counseling renegotiation of the basis on which it should occur This position is echoed by the newspaper Socialist Organiser. gues: We are against a united Europe being capitalist, but not against a capitalist Europe being united."
Chimera
But the concrete reality is that 'nice' European unification under capitalism, on torms socialists would be a chimera. Maastricht, including the Social Chapter, represents as good a deal as the Europe's bourgooisios will ever offer.
Left responses must start from outright opposition to the EC projoct and promote the nood for a Europe based on full employment, equality for women, guaranted wolfare rights and combatting the ecological crisis.
This could only moan a socialst Will Delors' dream come crashing down? Europe. Ctherwise we end up play. ing ball with the bosses while sook. ing to amelorate the worst consequences of their pians.
The Tribune pemphiet attacks marginalised elements on Labour's - read: Torry Benn - for supxosedly lining up with the Litte Englander Tory Right in opposing grounds. Socialst Organiser has arried similar classic demonstraBenn's argument is premised not on nationalism, but on his ideas about democracy and the way for. ward to an alternative Europe. They But as the Tribune group corroct. ly argues, with the increasing in. togration of the world capitalism, economic poor now operates on a transnabonal basis. Black Wednosday proves that British governments can no longer set exchange rates and interest rates independently of the Bundesbank Sweden This would be true in or out of the ERM, and even outside the EC, as the example of Swoden, where interest rates recenty hit 24 per cent, conclusively Yet it is readily ap. parent the authors see no alternative to following the logic of capital accumulation: "it the UK were to opt out of monetary union at a timo members of the EC proceed with it, this would make the UK sig. nitcanty less attractive to international capital with damaging eflects on our already weak Monetary union, would eliminate currency exchange costs, exchange rate uncertainty and currency speculation against an incoming Labour government. Nevertheless, consequent restrictions on national macroeconomic policy could see rocketing unemployment, it is warned. Where the right puts forward free markets, the left must counter with the need for social cohesion through EuroKeynesianism, it is argued.
It we support monetary union the inescap able logic is to argue for a much larger centralised European budget and/or other automatio redistributve mechanisms, as woll as highly interventionist regional and industrial policies. Without these, monetary union could be a roactionary stop."
Capping
Banning budget defcits above Throe per cent of gross domeste product, or total government debt above 60 per cont of GDP. would create state capping" by 1999. This would inevitably presage an attack of the wolfare state that would dwarf anything yet soon in Britain current proposals, the future EC budget would be under 2 Andrew Wiard Face of the right's opposition to Maastricht per cent of total community expendiure. The authors call for at least a fourfold increase.
European socialist partos, it is argued, should agree a programme which backs "Keynesian policies for reflason and incorporates specific measures to counter regional imbalances, including a larger EC budget and the redistribution of was. oful tarming subsidies to industrial The argument grossly overes. bmabes the radio sm of Euroonan social democracy. Labour is a long way from such policies at home, never mind within the EC. Spain's PSOE is effectively Thatcherito, while the Fronch socialists dare not jeopard. ise the agricultural vote.
Ultimately, The Left and Europe is a usable and readable critque of the worst points of Maastricht. But it is not enough to speak out against the symptoms; the only socialist starting point can be treating the disease it• The Loft and Europe is avail. able from Peter Hain, House of Commons, London SW1, price £2.