No2EU

No2EU is a left-wing Eurosceptic electoral alliance in the United Kingdom. It was founded in 2009¹ when it campaigned under the campaign slogan No2EU — Yes to Democracy; it was led by Bob Crow and backed by the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT), who provided most of its funding, the Communist Party of Britain and Solidarity among others. It participated in the 2009 European Parliament elections and the European elections in 2014 with the party name "No2EU" and the campaign slogan No2EU — Yes to Workers' Rights. The organisation is now known as Trade Unionists Against the EU.

No2EU is a left-wing Eurosceptic electoral alliance in the United Kingdom. It was founded in 2009 when it campaigned under the campaign slogan No2EU — Yes to Democracy; it was led by Bob Crow and backed by the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT), who provided most of its funding, the Communist Party of Britain and Solidarity among others. It participated in the 2009 European Parliament elections and the European elections in 2014 with the party name "No2EU" and the campaign slogan No2EU — Yes to Workers' Rights. The organisation is now known as Trade Unionists Against the EU.

Summary of main policies

No2EU's declared position is for a Europe of "democratic states that value public services and does not offer them to profiteers; a Europe that guarantees the rights of workers and does not put the interests of big business above that of ordinary people". This, it contested, is impossible within the current European Union structure and it calls for a withdrawal from the EU. In keeping with its socialist position it campaigns for public ownership of some national industries and investment in public services. It is hostile to fascist politics, acting as an 'internationalist alternative' to the perceived xenophobic positions of existing far-right eurosceptic parties. Tensions arising from the free movement of labour are explained as an economic issue, for example Bob Crow stated that he was against "two workers from different countries competing against each other on different rates of pay".

History

No2EU – Yes to Democracy was initiated by the RMT to contest the June 2009 European Parliament elections. In addition to the RMT, the coalition included: Alliance for Green Socialism Communist Party of Britain Indian Workers' Association Liberal Party Socialist Party Solidarity This was notable as the first instance in recent history of a British trade union officially putting its support behind a national electoral presence other than the Labour Party, though the RMT had set some precedent in Scotland when it backed the Scottish Socialist Party.

2009 European Parliament election

No2EU received 153,236 votes or 1% of the national vote, winning no seats and finishing in 11th place behind Arthur Scargill's Socialist Labour Party. The alliance only fielded candidates in Great Britain, none in Northern Ireland. The regional breakdown of the vote was as follows: After the election, activity dwindled and the campaign was statutorily de-registered by the Electoral Commission on 2 November 2010.

2014 European Parliament election

On 16 October 2013, the campaign re-registered with the Electoral Commission, consisting of an alliance of the RMT, the Socialist Party and the Communist Party of Britain, ready to contest the 2014 European Parliament election. For 2014, the slate used the party name of "No2EU" and the campaign slogan No2EU – Yes to workers' rights. No2EU – Yes to Workers' Rights stood 46 candidates in seven regions in the 22 May euro election including London, North West, Eastern, Wales, Scotland, Yorks and Humber and West Midlands. The candidates were as follows: No2EU deregistered as a political party on 1 November 2014. It did not contest the 2019 European Parliament elections.

European Parliament

Notes

References

Text derived from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1365964355 under CC BY-SA 4.0; modifications have been made.