Should We - Will We - Go In?

Mr. “ilson has been putting on a Churchillian-like act in urope these last few days. He has also thrown in a bit of anti-American demagogy. This hasn't fooled anyone - least of all General de Gaulle. If Mr, Wilson really wanted to stand up the the United States he would make a stand of some kind on Vietnam. If anything, one of the reasons de Gaulle is so reluctant to let in Britain is because he feels that this will increase American influence in the Common Market. However, this is all part of the maneouvring of Mr. Wilson and the Cabinet: what are the really serious issues so far as socialists are concerned? The Common Market represents the response of “uropean capitalists to the unfriendly post-war world. It is an attempt politically and, therefore, militarily, to get on equal terms with the two super-powers. It is an attempt to get over the limitations placed upon capitalist rationalisation by national boundaries. Is is also ‘designed to present a united front against the working classes of the west Buropean countries who are, in some cases led by politically suspect political groupings. There are two separate aspects to Britain's entry into the Common Market: (1) from an economic point of view it could assist big monopolies to get behind the tariff barriers of the Six, and by subjecting British industry to fierce competition assist those who want to rationalise British industry by sweeping away a multitude of small and inefficient business enterprises. (2) British entry is an integral part of the process of unifying Hurope for a greater part in the cold war. Both these aims are extremely reactionary and in the last analysis both are directed against the workers' movement. The economic affects of joining the Common Market would be to strength/big monopoly capital against the small and medium sized enterprises, and against the working class, 4ntry would be followed by an immediate attack on the people's standard in the form of a huge increase in food prices. A medium term effect would be to close down hundreds of the small enterprises, which would be used to weaken workers! organisations in the larger ones. British big business would also be more able to use its international connections to break workers! resistance to these measures. From a class point of view we should oppose entry. But this must done not in the spirit ©f nationalism or chauvinism. Opposition to Britain's entry must be linked with an offensive strategy and an alternative programme for reconstructing British industry to serve the needs of the people. That this mast be a socialist programme goes without saying. But the problems which the Common Market attempts to solve from a capitalist point of,yview are real ones and our socialist answer must be concrete. The Week will/carrying a number of discussion articles on this question, but let it be said that the socialist answer to the Common Market must be based the.concept of a Socialist United States of Furope and the complete unity of Suropean workers.