Our Emancipation & Liberation blog has posted articles about the EU and Migration since it was set up. The earlier postings covered the Republican Communist Network’s involvement, when it was a platform in the Scottish Socialist Party. The first debate was in 2002 over whether the SSP should back joining the euro in the event of a referendum over the issue. The majority in the SSP was anti-euro, although there was a small pro-euro minority. The RCN formed another minority, which was for a campaign of active abstention.
The next set of discussions involved the SSP’s relationship to the European Anti-Capitalist Left, which had been formed in 2000. The RCN welcomed this development. The declining influence of the EACL after the Iraq War, and the downturn in the Anti-(Capitalist) Globalisation Movement, had its effect. The crisis in the SSP, caused by the Sheridan Affair, also lessened the SSP’s involvement. Nevertheless, the SSP stood as part of the EACL alliance in the 2009 Euro-elections. The RCN ceased being a platform in the SSP in November 2011.
The post-2008 Crisis has had a huge impact on the EU. Emancipation & Liberation has covered the EU’s role, particularly in relation to Ireland, Greece and Catalunya. A major effect of this prolonged crisis has been the growth of opposition to the EU in the UK. This contributed to the EU referendum held on the 23rd June, 2016. RCN members became involved in the debate, both internally and externally (in the SSP and RISE) without coming to any specific conclusions over which way to vote in the referendum. A majority of the RCN, as individuals, voted to Remain.
The RCN ceased to be an interventionist organisation on 29th May 2016 Since then, some RCN members, along with others from England in the Republican Socialist Alliance, have become involved in the Campaign for a European Republican Socialist Party. This blog covers its activities.
The December 12th 2019 general election dispelled illusions in a Left Brexit. ‘Brexit Britain’ has become a testing ground for Hard Right politics. But the EU is now also witnessing the advance of Hard and Far Right politics. These have now leapfrogged the old east (e.g. Poland and Hungary) and west divide, with electoral victories for advances for the Hard Right in Austria and Italy.
The RCN became the Republican Communist Forum in January 2021 and our blog has been retitled Emancipation, Liberation & Self Determination and members have joined the new Republican Socialist Platform.
These debates and discussions have always included contributions by other organisations and individuals and were posted on this blog. Below is a guide with links to these debates and discussions.
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1. The EU and UK after the Brexit referendum
2. The European Democratic Revolution and the Campaign for a European Republican Socialist Party
3. The debate over the EU referendum and the Brexit vote
4. The European Anti-Capitalist Left
5. The debate in the SSP over whether the UK should join the euro
1. The EU and UK after the Brexit referendum
British Brexit strategy huts the buffers, more chaos ahead – Socialist Democracy (Ireland)
Vaccine apartheid: how Europe failed the global south – Ben Wray, bella caledonia
British government threatens to renege on N.I. Protocol – Socialist Democracy (Ireland)
May 6th election results and beyond – Allan Armstrong, RCF
Brexit Britain, a new police state – Socialist Democracy (Ireland)
Continuing shambles from Brexit to Ex-Brit – Peter Middleton
The stranglehold of the Hard Right is tightening in Brexitland – Mike Small, bella caledonia
Starmer, the SNP and Brexit – Allan Armstrong (RCN) Murdo Ritchie (RCN) and Miguil Martinez (RSA)
Brexit a new constitutional crisis – Steve Freeman (RS) and Socialist Democracy (Ireland)
Whither Remain or will Remain wither? – Phil Vellender (RSA)
Popular culture, Brexit and One Nation Toryism – Jim Aitken, Culture Matters
The British Left and the UK state – Allan Armstrong, RCN
Tories enshrine impunity for British security forces in law – Connor Beaton (RSP)
Brexit scam: up the garden path with Leo and Boris – Socialist Democracy (Ireland)
EU recovery plan: pulling together or falling apart? – Socialist Democracy (Ireland)
Brexit hasn’t gone away: the view from Ireland – Socialist Democracy (Ireland)
A new decade, new approach: welcome to Backstop Country – Socialist Democracy (Ireland)
The contradictions underling Brexit and Scottish independence – Allan Armstrong (RCN)
It’s the constitution stupid: after the Boris scoup let’s fUK it! – Allan Armstrong (RCN)
What voting Leave has revealed – Murdo Ritchie (RCN)
The continuing Brexit crisis – Allan Armstrong (RCN)
From Blatcheriam to Maybynism – Allan Armstrong (RCN)
Brexit and what it means for Ireland – Socialist Democracy (Ireland)
UK: the political crisis intensifies over Brexit deal- Socialist Democracy (Ireland)
The Brexit Ratification referendum – Allan Armstrong (RCN) and Steve Freeman (RSA)
Austria’s Right turn – Benjamin Opratko, International Viewpoint
White Christian Europe: 60,000 Far Right supporters march in Warsaw march – Tony Greenstein blog
Brexit counter-revolution – Steve Freeman (LUP)
2. The European Democratic Revolution and the Campaign for a European Republican Socialist Party
The crisis of democracy: a ratification referendum – Campaign for a European Republican Party
Scotland’s ratification referendum – Campaign for a European Republican Party
Report of the Meeting to Set Up the Campaign for European Socialist Party, Allan Armstrong
The Reality of the European Democratic Revolution – Allan Armstrong
European Democratic Revolution – A Statement from the Republican Socialist Alliance
Report of the Republican Socialist Alliance meeting in Wakefield, 23.7.16
Report of Republican Socialist Alliance meeting in Stockport, 12.3.16
The EU and the European Democratic Revolution – Steve Freeman
3. The debate over the EU referendum and the Brexit vote
Which Way Now – ‘Brexit’ or ‘Ex-Brit’ – Allan Armstrong
Little England – Steve Freeman
Scotland in the Aftermath of the Referendum – Eric Chester
If Not Now, When? – Murdo Ritchie
Brexit – Views from Ireland – D.R. O’Connor Lysaght and Socialist Democracy (Ireland)
An Open Letter to Lexiters – Allan Armstrong
Racism, Nostalgia and the EU Referendum – Brendan McGeever, Nadine El-Enany and John Tummon
Socialist Democracy (Ireland) Statement on the EU Referendum
EU and Internationalism from Below- Scotland Remains, England Abstains – Steve Freeman
The Debate on the EU Referendum – Allan Armstrong & Eric Chester
4. The European Anti-Capitalist Left
Supplement. The 2009 European Elections – a political assessment – Allan Armstrong
Another Europe Is Possible – Allan Armstrong
The European Anti-Capitalist Manifesto
Strengthening the Anti-Capitalist Analysis – Rayner O’Connor Lysaght
Statement from the Conference of the European Anti-Capitalist Left,12-13 December, Brussels, 2001
The Declaration of the Anti-Capitalist Left
5. The debate in the SSP over whether the UK should join the euro
The Euro Referendum: The case for an active boycott –Allan Armstrong, 25.7.025.
Boycott Any Euro Referendum – Matthew Jones
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