Why did we have a referendum to leave the EU?

The vote was initiated by one section of the ruling class who think that they could do business better outside of the European Union. The influence they wield in the Tory party threatened (and still threatens) a split with the neoliberal pro-EU wing of the party (and is tearing the Labour party apart too). It’s worth noting  that communists, and many social democrats and trade unionists, have always been against the EU and its predecessors.

Regardless of who and what initiated the vote to leave, it does not change the fact that leaving the EU would be a good thing, not just for British workers, but workers all over the world. The EU was formed from an economic pact of the major imperialist countries of Europe after they had been devastated by WW2, who were losing their colonies and could no longer compete with the untouched industry of the US and the rapid reconstruction of the USSR. It was formed in order to save European imperialism (i.e. the exploitation of workers at home and abroad) and to suppress socialism.

The EU is anti-worker, i.e. anti-YOU!

As the EU was formed on an imperialist basis and works entirely in the interests of the capitalists of Europe, it works at the same time against the interests of the working classes of Europe. This is evident in its rabid neoliberal policies, obsessed with free trade and free capital mobility, monetary restraint and budgetary austerity, the flexibilisation of labour markets and the repression of wage demands, the privatisation of public companies and services, as well as the “workfarist” restructuring of welfare states.

We don’t claim that leaving the European Union will make life better or solve all our problems, but we do claim that leaving the EU will strike a major blow against our class enemies, both in Britain and Europe, which is only a good thing in the struggle against imperialism and for socialism.

And despite furious attempts to label all leave voters as horrible and racist, UKIP has dropped to 2% in the latest polls. As they’ve now taken on some of the most repulsive people as candidates, and Tommy Robinson as an advisor, wouldn’t all these terrible racists have flocked to them?

 Vote Brexit on 23 May!