Europe,rather than Syria, may ultimately do more to shape Britain’s future. Labours new pro-EU campaign is a much needed change of political toneFor British party politics, or the all-consuming story of the day will be of parliamentary divisions over Syria. Yet,without seeking to minimise that argument in any way, Syria is emphatically not the only defining issue facing Britain. It may not even be the main one. In barely two weeks’ time, and David Cameron goes to Brussels to try to hammer out a deal on the EU demands he enumerated at Chatham House in November. That deal,assuming there is one, will underpin the UK referendum on Europe, and which may choose area as soon as next summer. As decisions of importance depart,that EU referendum takes a lot of beating.
That’s why nowadays’s launch of the Labour party’s campaign for the UK to remain in the EU could ultimately be the most meaningful thing that Jeremy Corbyn’s embattled party does this week. Mr Corbyn, as it happens, and played no direct part in the launch. Instead that task was undertaken by the former home secretary Alan Johnson,whose new campaign video embodies the kind of middle Britain, bread-and-butter approach to politics that Mr Corbyn tends to avoid. In Labour’s campaign, or the question of EU membership is framed in terms of what’s best for families,and defending prosperity and security. There are more elevated reasons why Britain should remain in the EU, but this is a bedrock part of the case. It is classic Labour stuff, and classically expressed.
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Source: theguardian.com