Homogeneous is a curious word for Europe at this point of
time in history. Ethnically the most homogeneous continent in the world,
according to a landmark study by the Harvard Institute of Economic Research in
2002, is faced with a situation which may change the tone and tenor of future politics
in Europe. The economic cooperation – then known as the Common Market following
the Treaty of Rome – initiated about six decades ago as a harbinger of peace,
reconstruction and prosperity in the years following the Great Wars is now the
subject of a heated war of words both within Britain and across Europe.
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| Jeremy Corbyn voted to opt out of Europe in 1975 |
The referendum on whether Britain should or should not be
part of the European Union (EU) has divided the island nation like never before
in the immediate past, and has exhibited signs of a tumult in the
conceptualisation of political homogeneity.
The hard-line left within the Labour Party, like Michael
Foot and Tony Benn, may have staunchly opposed Britain’s integration with what
was then called the European Community during the earlier referendum in 1975. But
their present day political descendants like the Leader of the Opposition Jeremy
Corbyn and Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell are campaigning vigorously so that
Britain remains within the EU. The Foots and the Bens may have apprehended that
the economic integration was a ‘capitalist ploy’ to keep the real wage low, but
the incumbent Labour group supporting the ‘Remain Campaign, were brandishing
their opponents as a “bunch of snooty Eurosceptics” who were out to compromise
on job losses leading to further hardship for the working class Britons.
Interestingly, during the 1975 referendum, as a local
councillor in the London Borough of Haringey, Corbyn voted 'No' to Britain's
membership of the European Community. Britain, however, voted 67 to 33 to stay
in. In fact, Corbyn was first elected to the House of Commons in 1983, the year
Labour leader Michael Foot was defeated with a radically left-wing manifesto
that included a pledge to withdraw Britain from the European Economic
Community, which later became to be called the EU. Though the Labour's leadership
then embraced the EU, Corbyn in 1993 voted against ratifying the Maastricht
Treaty that laid the groundwork for the modern European Union.
When it comes to the Conservatives, on any day and on any
issue Prime Minister David Cameron is considered to be much more centre of
right than his controversial predecessor Margaret Thatcher. Those who are aware
of the developments surrounding the ‘UK Rebate’ - a financial mechanism which
reduces the UK's contribution to the EU budget and is in effect since 1985 - as
extracted from the union by Thatcher in the 1980s, know that the ‘Iron Lady’ of
British politics was more keen on negotiations to leverage benefits for Britain
than an outright exit. After all, Thatcher’s political philosophy revolved
around balancing the books and taking stock of her political profit and loss
when it came to clinching deals and inking agreements.
Cameron may be a different brand of Tory politician as
compared to Thatcher, propagating ‘compassionate Capitalism’ as against the
ruthlessness of the Iron Lady, and yet he chose a similar path of negotiation,
and thereby clinch a deal favourable to Britain, rather than proposing an exit
from the union.
Politics they say make strange bedfellows. It’s also true
that politics makes the best of friends into worse adversaries. Nothing can be nearer
to truth of this than what’s being witnessed in contemporary British politics.
The party is literally in the midst of a civil war with the ‘Remain Camp’
involved in a slanging match with the ‘Leave Camp’, similar to what was
witnessed by the Labour Party when its Prime Minister Harold Wilson held a
referendum in 1975 on whether the UK should be or not in what was then termed
as the European Community. Apart from Prime Minister Wilson the likes of Roy
Jenkins and David Owen favoured Britain remaining within Europe, but it was
strongly opposed by the hard-line left leaders Michael Foot and Tony Benn.
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| Debate on Europe divides Etonian pals |
The wedge of divide is equally pronounced within the
Conservative Party this time round. Some of Prime Minister Cameron’s trusted
lieutenants in government and in the party are up in arms when it concerns
Britain’s position in Europe. Justice Secretary and Lord Chancellor Michael
Gove is one of the leading figures in the ‘Leave Campaign’, but only recently
as the Education Secretary he was in-charge of putting in place the prime
minister’s education agenda, the biggest of all being the exam and curriculum
reforms to elevate Britain’s position among the developed countries on the various
aspects of school education.
Another heavyweight in the ‘Leave Campaign’, Preeti Patel
was handpicked by Cameron to don the mantle as the Minister of State for
Employment and also provided her with the special privilege to seat around the
cabinet table. The elevation of the minister born to a Ugandan-Indian migrant
family assumes significance for a plethora of issues plaguing the British
economy, including the controversy surrounding the zero-hour contracts which in
effect is one of reasons behind showing lower unemployment figures despite a
rise in part-time jobs and underemployment; the high youth unemployment figures
and in the backdrop of the call for British jobs for the British people being
one of the main planks of the hard-line Eurosceptics. Patel is also seen as a
go between Cameron and his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi. These, however,
didn’t stop Patel from shifting to the opposite camp of the British prime
minister.
A fellow Etonian, Cameron and former London Mayor Boris
Johnson are on the same page on a number of issues ranging from politics to
governance. Despite having their fair share of differences, the two are thought
to have a good rapport and they also share a few jokes. Johnson is now accusing
the prime minister of scare-mongering on a possible ‘Brexit’, the slick name
provided to Britain’s exit from the EU, and on his part Cameron is alleging ‘rabble
rousing’ by the ‘Leave Campaign’ of which the former London Mayor is a leading
light.
Tirthankar Bandyopadhyay is a journalist and media consultant.
He can be contacted at tirthankarb@hotmail.com
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