THE WHOLE page devoted by John Ross (SA 29 July) to the issue of the attitudes of withdrawal from the EEC begged far more caesuons tulan R answered.
More seriously, behind the smokescreen the Labour Party with • Common Market and EEC institutions, the line advanced by Ross represented a clear 08000 e 109! backward and nationally British left at a moment become possible to debate working class and socialist strategy towards EurODe.
Ross in effect says that the EEC represents the interests of European capitalists in a period ci deepening trade and economic conflict with US capitalism, that withdrawal from the EEC is some kind of socialist princible. ne even concludes with the slogan - the Tory government?) 'British out of the EEC' Now if this a question of principle why does it not apply in the other 1C member states!
I have searched in vain through the sister publications of Socialist Action in other European 'countries to find similar calls for Belgian, French, Itaian or West German withdrawal from the Common Market. Ur does John Ross see something unique about Britain's circumstances that leads him to this conclusion (Britain's excess budget payments perhaps)?
Of course the policies and institutions of the EEC are incompatible with the actions which any serious socialist government would wish to take. But elsewhere in Europe socialists put the a united socialist states of advocated by John Ross) in front of the cart of EEC withdrawal.
In the first instance this means a determined no ore le left and the wider labour crete European perspective for socialist action. Some model for this exists within the embryo buropean peace move ment, but coordinated Huropean action is needed in the struggle against defence of trade union and civil rights, in defence of migrants, women and opressed minorities and - increasing.y - in defence of welfare services.
For those Socialist Action supporters who are members of the British Labour Party this