Wednesday 11 January 2017

The Lib Dems think Remainers will forgive their sins over backing the Tories.

Poor Jeremy Corbyn can't   win.  Despite the impression given by Labour HQ overnight that Jeremy Corbyn was on the point of ditching his long-held backing of the freedom of movement of European citizens - that allows an unlimited number of them to come and live and work in the UK -
He has not changed his mind on the most basic question when it comes to immigration. 
Does he think that the current levels, with 190,000 EU citizens coming to the UK last year, are too high? "No."
Asked whether he agreed that anyone without a job offer should be barred from coming to the UK, he said:
 "We are not saying that anyone could not come here because there would be the right of travel and so on.
"The right to work here would be something that would have to be negotiated."
 It seems that the Labour Leader  shares some of the concerns I raised in Yesterdays post on this blog
He said the
 "grotesque exploitation" of EU migrants by some UK companies had caused "awful tensions" in communities because of the under-cutting of wages.
But he defended the role of migrants in helping the NHS and other public services function.
While the UK was definitely leaving the EU, he said it could not "avoid" having a close trading relationship with the continent.
"What we don't want to do is turn Britain into a bargain-basement economy on the shores of Europe where we continuously reduce corporation taxation, encourage a low-wage economy,"
The Liberal Democrats were buoyed up with initial reports that 

He will say Labour’s priority in EU negotiations will remain full access to the European single market, but that his party wants “managed migration” and to repatriate powers from Brussels that would allow governments to intervene in struggling industries such as steel. Sources suggested that the economic demands were about tariff-free access to the single market, rather than membership that they argued did not exist.

Former Lib Dem Peter Black wrote


 The fact is that we cannot remain members of or have access to the single market without the free movement of labour and capital. How can a country trade freely in goods, or have a level playing field with other members of a single market if it also imposes restrictions on who produces those goods or who finances the production of those goods?
Our European partners grasp this and they have stated it loudly and repeatedly. Why are the likes of Boris Johnson, Theresa May and Jeremy Corbyn not listening?
The Liberal Democrats are now the only home for those who want the UK to remain in the EU and/or retain access to the single market after Brexit. Labour have had their chance to join us in that campaign. Corbyn's latest re-positioning appears to have blown it for them.
I find it somewhat distasteful  to see the Liberal Democrats using Brexit to give them a Unique selling Point  in order to attractant those who voted  Remain .

Its as if they believe that this will wash away the sins of them being the bag carriers to the Tories in the previous government and supporting the austerity cuts.

This has led them to present themselves as the natural home for Remain supporters even if the chances of reversing Brexit at least remote for now

A commentator on Mr Black's  Blog asked


What about Plaid and the Greens ?
# posted by Anonymous Anonymous : 12:18 PM
Plaid and the SNP are not UK parties. The Greens are not strong enough to fly this banner
# posted by Blogger Peter Black : 12:45 PM
Is it just me is this not proof that the Lib Dems  are being opportunist in their argument that we Remainers  should drift towards them.

Indeed it would be welcome if we we saw clearer statements from them echo Jeremy Corbyn over freedom of movement and the real problem of migrant workers is that they are exploited.

Also aside from Immigration though of us who oppose Brexit need to know what sought of European Union we  want to remain in?

For the Wales and Scotland  we need to know whether we should have a grater input in the UK dealings with Europe inside the EU or out.

I see no answers coming from the Liberal Democrats.











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