Jeremy Corbyn has taken to the Financial Times, the newspaper of big business, to say that Labour will support Britain staying in the EU whatever happens in the renegotiation. This is a reversal of Corbyn’s previous view that such a position was equivalent to giving David Cameron a blank cheque to negotiate away social and environmental ‘protections’.
But there is a twist. Corbyn says that if Cameron does win changes in these areas, Labour will commit to reversing them if it wins the next election. Now, I think this could pose a problem for the In campaign because it confirms that the settlement that is being put to the electorate is not permanent, that there could be more integration in the near future.
I suspect that the Out campaign is not too unhappy with Corbyn’s position. Many on it worried that having Corbyn and Farage, the two bookends of politics, backing Out could have the same effect that Tony Benn and Enoch Powell campaigning against membership in 1975 had, making the cause look extreme to middle-ground voters. In terms of the left and the referendum, the big question now is what position the unions end up taking.
The Spectator is hosting an evening discussion ‘Is the EU bad for business?’ at 7pm on Tuesday 20 October at The Royal College of Surgeons, WC2. Speakers include: Dominic Cummings, director of the ‘No’ campaign and Will Straw, executive director of the ‘Yes to Europe’ campaign and is chaired by Andrew Neil. For tickets and further information, click here.
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