1 00:00:02,159 --> 00:00:08,720 Um again mentioned about TIP and the 2 00:00:05,920 --> 00:00:10,639 health uh national health service uh let 3 00:00:08,720 --> 00:00:12,719 me just remind everyone that 22nd of 4 00:00:10,639 --> 00:00:14,160 March these loopers are available 22nd 5 00:00:12,719 --> 00:00:16,960 of March we're holding a meeting about 6 00:00:14,160 --> 00:00:19,119 the NHS and TIP. So please do attend 7 00:00:16,960 --> 00:00:21,400 that if you can. 8 00:00:19,119 --> 00:00:24,560 Now our final speaker doesn't require an 9 00:00:21,400 --> 00:00:26,640 introduction but he was uh described by 10 00:00:24,560 --> 00:00:29,279 the late and great Tony Ben as one of 11 00:00:26,640 --> 00:00:32,480 the finest socialists, internationalists 12 00:00:29,279 --> 00:00:34,719 and democrats of his generation. Please 13 00:00:32,480 --> 00:00:36,960 give a warm welcome to the inhibitable 14 00:00:34,719 --> 00:00:36,960 George 15 00:00:46,280 --> 00:00:50,039 Galloway. Brothers and sisters, comrades 16 00:00:49,200 --> 00:00:53,960 and 17 00:00:50,039 --> 00:00:58,199 friends, thanks for that uh kind 18 00:00:53,960 --> 00:01:02,559 introduction. And both Bob Crow and Tony 19 00:00:58,199 --> 00:01:04,559 Ben have featured heavily already in the 20 00:01:02,559 --> 00:01:08,320 course of this evening. And you'll have 21 00:01:04,559 --> 00:01:11,360 to forgive me for I intend to draw on 22 00:01:08,320 --> 00:01:13,960 both of those authorities in the course 23 00:01:11,360 --> 00:01:18,799 of my speech. 24 00:01:13,960 --> 00:01:20,439 Also, if you want to know what I think 25 00:01:18,799 --> 00:01:25,000 or what I'm 26 00:01:20,439 --> 00:01:25,000 doing, don't watch the BBC. 27 00:01:25,520 --> 00:01:32,520 Don't watch any of the mainstream 28 00:01:29,320 --> 00:01:35,680 outfits. Don't read any of the 29 00:01:32,520 --> 00:01:40,320 mainstream newspapers if you want to 30 00:01:35,680 --> 00:01:44,400 know what I actually think I'm doing. My 31 00:01:40,320 --> 00:01:48,159 wife and I have a weekly television show 32 00:01:44,400 --> 00:01:50,280 on RT Russia today. Paul's been on it. 33 00:01:48,159 --> 00:01:52,920 Eddie will be on it 34 00:01:50,280 --> 00:01:56,880 soon. Every Thursday 35 00:01:52,920 --> 00:01:59,719 evening, I host a worldwide phone 36 00:01:56,880 --> 00:02:04,159 television show on Press 37 00:01:59,719 --> 00:02:07,239 TV. Twice a month, I present a 38 00:02:04,159 --> 00:02:10,760 television program on Almyadin 39 00:02:07,239 --> 00:02:13,800 television which broadcasts from 40 00:02:10,760 --> 00:02:17,200 Beirut. I write a column for the 41 00:02:13,800 --> 00:02:19,879 American Herald Tribune. 42 00:02:17,200 --> 00:02:23,920 My wife is Dutch, 43 00:02:19,879 --> 00:02:27,120 Indonesian. Three of my children are 44 00:02:23,920 --> 00:02:29,800 mixed race. I'm mentioning all of these 45 00:02:27,120 --> 00:02:33,720 things for the obvious 46 00:02:29,800 --> 00:02:36,680 purpose of pointing out the complete 47 00:02:33,720 --> 00:02:39,760 absurdity of characterizing 48 00:02:36,680 --> 00:02:44,080 caricatururing our position in this 49 00:02:39,760 --> 00:02:45,160 debate as somehow being a position of 50 00:02:44,080 --> 00:02:47,760 little 51 00:02:45,160 --> 00:02:50,360 Englanders. apart from the fact I'm half 52 00:02:47,760 --> 00:02:54,640 Irish and half 53 00:02:50,360 --> 00:02:57,760 Scottish or pretending that our stand is 54 00:02:54,640 --> 00:03:03,959 somehow about nationalism. Nobody could 55 00:02:57,760 --> 00:03:06,800 be less nationalistic than me, more 56 00:03:03,959 --> 00:03:11,720 internationalist than me. 57 00:03:06,800 --> 00:03:13,400 I intervened heavily in the Scottish 58 00:03:11,720 --> 00:03:18,519 independence 59 00:03:13,400 --> 00:03:21,400 referendum arguing the case against 60 00:03:18,519 --> 00:03:26,800 nationalism. The idea that Tony 61 00:03:21,400 --> 00:03:28,840 Ben was a nationalist or Bob Crow was a 62 00:03:26,800 --> 00:03:33,760 nationalist that Paul Embry is a 63 00:03:28,840 --> 00:03:36,680 nationalist is absolutely absurd. 64 00:03:33,760 --> 00:03:41,840 Now there are some people who will be 65 00:03:36,680 --> 00:03:45,400 voting in the same way as us who are no 66 00:03:41,840 --> 00:03:49,560 doubt nationalists. Some of them 67 00:03:45,400 --> 00:03:51,760 even justifying the term little 68 00:03:49,560 --> 00:03:53,319 Englander. On the other hand, Tony 69 00:03:51,760 --> 00:03:56,879 Blair's voting to 70 00:03:53,319 --> 00:03:57,879 remain. So's Peter Mandles. So is 71 00:03:56,879 --> 00:04:01,120 Goldman 72 00:03:57,879 --> 00:04:03,400 Sachs. So is David Cameron. George 73 00:04:01,120 --> 00:04:06,720 Osborne. So don't talk to me about 74 00:04:03,400 --> 00:04:10,120 strange bed fellows if you're on the 75 00:04:06,720 --> 00:04:13,799 left. This is a binary 76 00:04:10,120 --> 00:04:19,919 choice. You have to vote one way or the 77 00:04:13,799 --> 00:04:22,639 other in or out. Leave or remain. And so 78 00:04:19,919 --> 00:04:24,880 there will always be as there was in the 79 00:04:22,639 --> 00:04:28,000 Scottish referendum. 80 00:04:24,880 --> 00:04:30,960 I didn't link arms with, line up with, 81 00:04:28,000 --> 00:04:33,840 stand shoulderto-shoulder with the 82 00:04:30,960 --> 00:04:37,240 Scottish Conservative Party. They just 83 00:04:33,840 --> 00:04:41,199 happen to be voting the same way as 84 00:04:37,240 --> 00:04:42,680 me and of course the majority of the 85 00:04:41,199 --> 00:04:47,280 Scottish 86 00:04:42,680 --> 00:04:50,960 people. I want to echo a point that Paul 87 00:04:47,280 --> 00:04:53,759 made that I haven't heard. Somehow we're 88 00:04:50,960 --> 00:04:56,720 amongst those who are against I must say 89 00:04:53,759 --> 00:05:00,560 it's a particularly peculiar insult to 90 00:04:56,720 --> 00:05:04,840 throw at me because for many years they 91 00:05:00,560 --> 00:05:07,600 kept saying I was only interested in 92 00:05:04,840 --> 00:05:08,600 immigrants. I am myself an immigrant 93 00:05:07,600 --> 00:05:12,639 twice 94 00:05:08,600 --> 00:05:16,240 over. My grandparents in their bare feet 95 00:05:12,639 --> 00:05:21,600 on a cattle boat from Ireland. 96 00:05:16,240 --> 00:05:23,720 me from Scotland to England and for 35 97 00:05:21,600 --> 00:05:27,039 years to 98 00:05:23,720 --> 00:05:30,960 London. We're not against immigration. 99 00:05:27,039 --> 00:05:34,400 Still less can we accept the conflation 100 00:05:30,960 --> 00:05:37,280 of the question of migration and the 101 00:05:34,400 --> 00:05:40,039 question of refugees. 102 00:05:37,280 --> 00:05:44,199 Every country has the right to 103 00:05:40,039 --> 00:05:49,479 decide how much immigration and from 104 00:05:44,199 --> 00:05:52,639 where it is prepared to accept or ought 105 00:05:49,479 --> 00:05:55,240 to ought to. 106 00:05:52,639 --> 00:05:59,039 But every country has an absolute 107 00:05:55,240 --> 00:06:01,840 obligation to treat humanely those who 108 00:05:59,039 --> 00:06:04,160 are refugees. Especially when it's your 109 00:06:01,840 --> 00:06:06,919 country that's doing the bombing and 110 00:06:04,160 --> 00:06:10,560 making the wars that are producing for 111 00:06:06,919 --> 00:06:10,560 refugees in the first 112 00:06:11,880 --> 00:06:18,800 place. There is nothing leftwing about 113 00:06:16,000 --> 00:06:20,360 mass immigration. 114 00:06:18,800 --> 00:06:23,160 Mass 115 00:06:20,360 --> 00:06:26,520 immigration decapitates the 116 00:06:23,160 --> 00:06:30,560 countries from which the immigrant is 117 00:06:26,520 --> 00:06:33,560 leaving depriving them. You take many 118 00:06:30,560 --> 00:06:36,960 examples. The health system for 119 00:06:33,560 --> 00:06:39,039 example all these doctors that have 120 00:06:36,960 --> 00:06:41,440 migrated here to work in the health 121 00:06:39,039 --> 00:06:43,759 system are by definition no longer 122 00:06:41,440 --> 00:06:46,720 working in the health system in their 123 00:06:43,759 --> 00:06:47,639 own countries. And the same is true in 124 00:06:46,720 --> 00:06:51,440 many 125 00:06:47,639 --> 00:06:55,120 professions. Equally, mass immigration 126 00:06:51,440 --> 00:06:58,960 in a capitalist society must, as a 127 00:06:55,120 --> 00:07:02,000 matter of simple logic, drive down wages 128 00:06:58,960 --> 00:07:05,039 and conditions for those of all colors, 129 00:07:02,000 --> 00:07:07,680 all ethnicities, all pathways into our 130 00:07:05,039 --> 00:07:09,599 country who are already living and 131 00:07:07,680 --> 00:07:12,240 working here. 132 00:07:09,599 --> 00:07:15,599 So unless you take the view and only a 133 00:07:12,240 --> 00:07:18,120 very few on the very far left take the 134 00:07:15,599 --> 00:07:21,240 view that there should be 135 00:07:18,120 --> 00:07:24,800 unlimited uncontrolled 136 00:07:21,240 --> 00:07:29,199 immigration. Then you have to accept 137 00:07:24,800 --> 00:07:32,880 that what we have now is the most racist 138 00:07:29,199 --> 00:07:35,840 immigration rules that we have ever had 139 00:07:32,880 --> 00:07:40,160 in this country. It's effectively a 140 00:07:35,840 --> 00:07:43,360 whites only immigration policy. 550 141 00:07:40,160 --> 00:07:45,840 million people from the European Union. 142 00:07:43,360 --> 00:07:48,240 The overwhelming majority of the white 143 00:07:45,840 --> 00:07:50,800 are entitled to come here at the drop of 144 00:07:48,240 --> 00:07:53,919 a hat with as many members of their 145 00:07:50,800 --> 00:07:56,319 family as they wish. was people from the 146 00:07:53,919 --> 00:07:58,720 British Commonwealth who speak our 147 00:07:56,319 --> 00:08:02,960 language, whose family members were 148 00:07:58,720 --> 00:08:06,080 already here before we joined the EU 149 00:08:02,960 --> 00:08:08,759 have to climb through hoops of fire even 150 00:08:06,080 --> 00:08:12,240 to get a visa to come and attend their 151 00:08:08,759 --> 00:08:15,199 grandson's wedding or come and attend 152 00:08:12,240 --> 00:08:18,400 their grandmother's funeral. I know that 153 00:08:15,199 --> 00:08:20,560 very well because for almost 30 years I 154 00:08:18,400 --> 00:08:23,199 sat in the British Parliament trying to 155 00:08:20,560 --> 00:08:25,639 get visas for people from Jamaica, from 156 00:08:23,199 --> 00:08:29,039 India, Pakistan, from 157 00:08:25,639 --> 00:08:32,320 Bangladesh, from Ghana, Nigeria, all 158 00:08:29,039 --> 00:08:35,440 these countries were English, if you'll 159 00:08:32,320 --> 00:08:38,000 forgive the pun, is the lingua frana who 160 00:08:35,440 --> 00:08:40,000 fought alongside us in the Second World 161 00:08:38,000 --> 00:08:43,440 War with whom we had the closest 162 00:08:40,000 --> 00:08:47,600 possible relations for most of history 163 00:08:43,440 --> 00:08:50,800 entirely. exploitative by us of them had 164 00:08:47,600 --> 00:08:54,000 the door slammed in their face when we 165 00:08:50,800 --> 00:08:59,320 joined the European Union and for the 166 00:08:54,000 --> 00:09:02,399 last 40 years or more have endured 167 00:08:59,320 --> 00:09:05,600 discrimination against them in the 168 00:09:02,399 --> 00:09:07,560 immigration system. people to whom we 169 00:09:05,600 --> 00:09:10,200 owe a debt of 170 00:09:07,560 --> 00:09:13,120 reparation for having stolen all their 171 00:09:10,200 --> 00:09:16,959 things, including in the case of Africa, 172 00:09:13,120 --> 00:09:21,880 even stealing them and transporting them 173 00:09:16,959 --> 00:09:24,560 as slaves to other parts of our 174 00:09:21,880 --> 00:09:27,680 empire. So, this is not about 175 00:09:24,560 --> 00:09:30,160 immigration except in this regard. 176 00:09:27,680 --> 00:09:33,440 One of the reasons I'm supporting 177 00:09:30,160 --> 00:09:37,200 leaving the European Union is so that 178 00:09:33,440 --> 00:09:40,320 the people of Commonwealth extraction 179 00:09:37,200 --> 00:09:43,040 here in this country can get a fair deal 180 00:09:40,320 --> 00:09:48,120 and their families can get a fair deal 181 00:09:43,040 --> 00:09:50,640 out of the immigration system that will 182 00:09:48,120 --> 00:09:54,720 develop. The third chivalith has been 183 00:09:50,640 --> 00:09:58,800 dealt with by both Paul and Eddie. I add 184 00:09:54,720 --> 00:10:00,279 to it only this the idea that we should 185 00:09:58,800 --> 00:10:04,200 stay in this 186 00:10:00,279 --> 00:10:07,040 anti-democratic unreformable impermeable 187 00:10:04,200 --> 00:10:08,839 organization because it represents some 188 00:10:07,040 --> 00:10:12,959 kind of 189 00:10:08,839 --> 00:10:15,120 civilizing mission here in Britain that 190 00:10:12,959 --> 00:10:20,240 if it wasn't for them we wouldn't have 191 00:10:15,120 --> 00:10:23,040 this or that betrays two things. First 192 00:10:20,240 --> 00:10:26,000 of all, a complete lack of confidence in 193 00:10:23,040 --> 00:10:29,120 our own people. A complete lack of 194 00:10:26,000 --> 00:10:31,519 awareness of the things we achieved 195 00:10:29,120 --> 00:10:36,000 before we ever joined the European 196 00:10:31,519 --> 00:10:38,959 Union. The Clean Air Act, for example, 197 00:10:36,000 --> 00:10:43,560 the 60th anniversary of which is about 198 00:10:38,959 --> 00:10:47,800 to come. The first Clean Air Act on the 199 00:10:43,560 --> 00:10:51,800 European continent. gay rights, women's 200 00:10:47,800 --> 00:10:54,120 rights, equal pay 201 00:10:51,800 --> 00:10:57,040 legislation. We had many great 202 00:10:54,120 --> 00:11:00,000 achievements. They talk about the period 203 00:10:57,040 --> 00:11:02,320 from 1973. I'll tell you, sadly, I'm old 204 00:11:00,000 --> 00:11:05,640 enough to remember it and young enough 205 00:11:02,320 --> 00:11:09,519 that I wasn't being used by 206 00:11:05,640 --> 00:11:12,720 substances. The 60s was the best time 207 00:11:09,519 --> 00:11:16,399 that this country ever had. We achieved 208 00:11:12,720 --> 00:11:20,120 huge things under a Labor government in 209 00:11:16,399 --> 00:11:25,200 the 1960s before we ever joined the 210 00:11:20,120 --> 00:11:28,320 European Union. Britain has elected 11 211 00:11:25,200 --> 00:11:30,560 Labor governments. And it's a strange 212 00:11:28,320 --> 00:11:34,000 time now that we've got for the first 213 00:11:30,560 --> 00:11:36,720 time an explicitly socialist left-wing 214 00:11:34,000 --> 00:11:38,399 leader of the Labor Party to be saying 215 00:11:36,720 --> 00:11:42,480 that if we don't have the European 216 00:11:38,399 --> 00:11:45,720 Union, nothing good will be able to be 217 00:11:42,480 --> 00:11:48,480 delivered to us. It's a 218 00:11:45,720 --> 00:11:51,279 nonsense. It betrays a total lack of 219 00:11:48,480 --> 00:11:53,200 confidence in our own people. Of course, 220 00:11:51,279 --> 00:11:56,480 we've got a Tory government now, but 221 00:11:53,200 --> 00:11:58,640 only 24% of the people voted for them. 222 00:11:56,480 --> 00:12:00,399 The only reason we've got a Tory 223 00:11:58,640 --> 00:12:04,560 government now is because we've got a 224 00:12:00,399 --> 00:12:06,279 twisted, unfair, unjust electoral system 225 00:12:04,560 --> 00:12:10,360 through which they 226 00:12:06,279 --> 00:12:12,800 exercise rather small parliamentary 227 00:12:10,360 --> 00:12:14,760 majority. We do have a Tory government, 228 00:12:12,800 --> 00:12:19,360 but at least we can vote them 229 00:12:14,760 --> 00:12:22,000 out as we have done 11 times before. But 230 00:12:19,360 --> 00:12:26,240 we can, as the others have said, never 231 00:12:22,000 --> 00:12:30,000 vote out those who have the power in the 232 00:12:26,240 --> 00:12:32,920 European Union. It is so designed that 233 00:12:30,000 --> 00:12:34,920 that is simply 234 00:12:32,920 --> 00:12:36,920 impossible. But it 235 00:12:34,920 --> 00:12:38,519 also 236 00:12:36,920 --> 00:12:41,519 completely 237 00:12:38,519 --> 00:12:44,959 overstates the intentions of the 238 00:12:41,519 --> 00:12:46,720 European Union as a civilizing 239 00:12:44,959 --> 00:12:48,880 organization. 240 00:12:46,720 --> 00:12:51,360 Some people in the labor movement have 241 00:12:48,880 --> 00:12:54,920 to wake up to the fact that Jack 242 00:12:51,360 --> 00:12:58,720 Dellores is dead and 243 00:12:54,920 --> 00:13:02,160 Deloreism if he deserves it is equally 244 00:12:58,720 --> 00:13:04,480 dead. There was a brief period after the 245 00:13:02,160 --> 00:13:07,920 fall of the Soviet Union and its 246 00:13:04,480 --> 00:13:12,480 satellite countries in which under the 247 00:13:07,920 --> 00:13:15,360 laws some small changes were affected 248 00:13:12,480 --> 00:13:18,440 which did civilize things like the labor 249 00:13:15,360 --> 00:13:21,200 market, maternity rights, working time 250 00:13:18,440 --> 00:13:24,320 directives and so on. But as my 251 00:13:21,200 --> 00:13:25,639 colleagues have said, that all was long 252 00:13:24,320 --> 00:13:28,720 ago 253 00:13:25,639 --> 00:13:32,160 slaughtered. And the Lisbon treaty, the 254 00:13:28,720 --> 00:13:35,560 constitutional treaty, actually makes 255 00:13:32,160 --> 00:13:37,399 most of these things untenable, if not 256 00:13:35,560 --> 00:13:40,079 actually 257 00:13:37,399 --> 00:13:43,680 impossible. We've got a Labour leader, 258 00:13:40,079 --> 00:13:46,880 Jeremy Corbyn, who wants to nationalize 259 00:13:43,680 --> 00:13:50,320 those utilities that were stolen from us 260 00:13:46,880 --> 00:13:53,600 under Thatcherism. It's illegal. Forget 261 00:13:50,320 --> 00:13:54,839 about it. We stay in the EU. It cannot 262 00:13:53,600 --> 00:13:58,240 be 263 00:13:54,839 --> 00:13:59,880 done. Our steel industry just went down 264 00:13:58,240 --> 00:14:02,240 the Swany 265 00:13:59,880 --> 00:14:04,399 River. As it happens, we've got a 266 00:14:02,240 --> 00:14:06,880 government that doesn't care tuppets 267 00:14:04,399 --> 00:14:09,519 about that. But if Jeremy Corbyn and 268 00:14:06,880 --> 00:14:12,480 John McDonald were running Britain, they 269 00:14:09,519 --> 00:14:15,680 wouldn't have been able to intervene to 270 00:14:12,480 --> 00:14:18,720 save our steel industry. The only way, 271 00:14:15,680 --> 00:14:21,760 and I mean this literally, the only way 272 00:14:18,720 --> 00:14:24,880 that we can be a manufacturing 273 00:14:21,760 --> 00:14:29,480 industrial country again is if we leave 274 00:14:24,880 --> 00:14:32,399 the European Union. Because you cannot 275 00:14:29,480 --> 00:14:35,760 reindustrialize through public ownership 276 00:14:32,399 --> 00:14:38,560 and public intervention in the economy 277 00:14:35,760 --> 00:14:40,880 as long as you remain in the EU. And 278 00:14:38,560 --> 00:14:43,639 it's abundantly clear that British 279 00:14:40,880 --> 00:14:46,560 capitalism no longer has the 280 00:14:43,639 --> 00:14:49,639 wherewithal, more importantly has no 281 00:14:46,560 --> 00:14:53,959 will whatsoever to rebuild our 282 00:14:49,639 --> 00:14:56,720 industrial strength as an as an economic 283 00:14:53,959 --> 00:14:58,040 manufacturing power. 284 00:14:56,720 --> 00:15:01,839 This 285 00:14:58,040 --> 00:15:04,480 whole setup in the European Union was 286 00:15:01,839 --> 00:15:08,440 deliberately designed as Eddie said so 287 00:15:04,480 --> 00:15:13,040 that German industry would dominate the 288 00:15:08,440 --> 00:15:16,199 European mainland but also us and 289 00:15:13,040 --> 00:15:18,880 British finance capital 290 00:15:16,199 --> 00:15:22,279 utilizing American capital, American 291 00:15:18,880 --> 00:15:25,959 banks based here in 292 00:15:22,279 --> 00:15:28,880 London would take care of the financial 293 00:15:25,959 --> 00:15:31,839 services. Well, I don't know about you, 294 00:15:28,880 --> 00:15:33,880 I'm not prepared to go into that good 295 00:15:31,839 --> 00:15:36,480 night as a 296 00:15:33,880 --> 00:15:38,959 postindustrial country. Not least 297 00:15:36,480 --> 00:15:40,839 because the financial services as we 298 00:15:38,959 --> 00:15:44,440 found in 299 00:15:40,839 --> 00:15:48,160 2008 is not just smoke and 300 00:15:44,440 --> 00:15:51,360 mirrors. It is actually fraudulent. And 301 00:15:48,160 --> 00:15:54,959 if the chickens came home to roost on 302 00:15:51,360 --> 00:16:00,040 that fraudulent finance capitalism, we 303 00:15:54,959 --> 00:16:04,279 would have no economy left at all. 304 00:16:00,040 --> 00:16:07,680 So the idea that we can't do it 305 00:16:04,279 --> 00:16:10,800 ourselves, that we had no history before 306 00:16:07,680 --> 00:16:13,680 we joined the European Union, and that 307 00:16:10,800 --> 00:16:16,759 the European Union is on a civilizing 308 00:16:13,680 --> 00:16:19,519 mission here, blunting the edges of 309 00:16:16,759 --> 00:16:22,959 capitalism and right-wing conservative 310 00:16:19,519 --> 00:16:25,680 governments are both completely untrue 311 00:16:22,959 --> 00:16:28,920 as propositions. 312 00:16:25,680 --> 00:16:31,160 And the point has been made by my 313 00:16:28,920 --> 00:16:34,639 colleagues very 314 00:16:31,160 --> 00:16:37,800 well that if you believe in democracy, 315 00:16:34,639 --> 00:16:41,279 you can't want to stay in the European 316 00:16:37,800 --> 00:16:44,320 Union. The European Union tells you what 317 00:16:41,279 --> 00:16:49,440 you can and cannot do even though you 318 00:16:44,320 --> 00:16:52,079 did not elect it and cannot remove it. 319 00:16:49,440 --> 00:16:54,480 The deficit, for example, you're not 320 00:16:52,079 --> 00:16:57,920 allowed under the rules of the European 321 00:16:54,480 --> 00:17:01,120 Union to run a deficit on your current 322 00:16:57,920 --> 00:17:04,600 account of more than 3%. What's leftwing 323 00:17:01,120 --> 00:17:08,400 about that? that is actually making 324 00:17:04,600 --> 00:17:11,679 illegal the work of John Maynard Kanes 325 00:17:08,400 --> 00:17:14,160 who influenced the conduct of social 326 00:17:11,679 --> 00:17:16,959 democratic governments and even 327 00:17:14,160 --> 00:17:20,160 nonsocial democratic governments in many 328 00:17:16,959 --> 00:17:23,919 countries through most of the last half 329 00:17:20,160 --> 00:17:26,559 century and more. The idea of the 330 00:17:23,919 --> 00:17:29,600 government priming the pumps, the 331 00:17:26,559 --> 00:17:32,880 government spending to kickstart the 332 00:17:29,600 --> 00:17:36,679 economy when it slows down cannot be 333 00:17:32,880 --> 00:17:39,600 achieved if your deficit must be 334 00:17:36,679 --> 00:17:42,640 3%. You would need twice, three times, 335 00:17:39,600 --> 00:17:46,480 four times that to get us out of the 336 00:17:42,640 --> 00:17:49,000 slump that we are currently in. Equally, 337 00:17:46,480 --> 00:17:54,559 the EU makes it 338 00:17:49,000 --> 00:17:56,280 illegal to have a level of debt to GDP 339 00:17:54,559 --> 00:18:00,760 of more than 340 00:17:56,280 --> 00:18:02,360 60%. Well, ours is actually 84% 341 00:18:00,760 --> 00:18:06,120 already. 342 00:18:02,360 --> 00:18:09,600 Greece, as a result of the 343 00:18:06,120 --> 00:18:16,240 EU's jack boot, to which I shall come in 344 00:18:09,600 --> 00:18:19,799 a minute, has a level of debt of 150% 345 00:18:16,240 --> 00:18:23,919 But you're only actually allowed to have 346 00:18:19,799 --> 00:18:28,000 60%. And you must, if you have more than 347 00:18:23,919 --> 00:18:31,720 a debt level of 60% to GDP, you must 348 00:18:28,000 --> 00:18:35,200 reduce it by 5% 349 00:18:31,720 --> 00:18:38,720 perom. Now, how do you reduce it? You 350 00:18:35,200 --> 00:18:41,679 can only reduce it by savagely cutting 351 00:18:38,720 --> 00:18:44,799 public services, throwing millions of 352 00:18:41,679 --> 00:18:47,200 people out of work, which is exactly 353 00:18:44,799 --> 00:18:51,679 what has happened. Not just in Greece, 354 00:18:47,200 --> 00:18:55,559 by the way, but in Spain, in Portugal, 355 00:18:51,679 --> 00:19:00,400 in Ireland, and other countries 356 00:18:55,559 --> 00:19:03,360 also. And so horrific is the situation 357 00:19:00,400 --> 00:19:08,520 in Greece that half of the children in 358 00:19:03,360 --> 00:19:11,679 the country are now living officially in 359 00:19:08,520 --> 00:19:13,000 poverty. Their children unable to be 360 00:19:11,679 --> 00:19:16,080 properly 361 00:19:13,000 --> 00:19:19,880 nourished. A third of the budget of the 362 00:19:16,080 --> 00:19:23,640 health service has had to be 363 00:19:19,880 --> 00:19:26,640 cut and they're still going to 364 00:19:23,640 --> 00:19:29,960 default. They have to default. The debt 365 00:19:26,640 --> 00:19:33,600 was unpayable before. It's equally 366 00:19:29,960 --> 00:19:34,960 unpayable now. Ask anyone in Ireland, by 367 00:19:33,600 --> 00:19:38,160 the way. I don't know if there are any 368 00:19:34,960 --> 00:19:42,120 Irish people here about what the costs 369 00:19:38,160 --> 00:19:46,720 of the EU reconstruction of their 370 00:19:42,120 --> 00:19:50,679 economy were. But when Greece defaults, 371 00:19:46,720 --> 00:19:54,080 it's going to send yet another political 372 00:19:50,679 --> 00:19:57,760 earthquake right across the Euro zone, 373 00:19:54,080 --> 00:20:01,320 just at a time when the Euro zone is 374 00:19:57,760 --> 00:20:04,320 seeking closer and closer political 375 00:20:01,320 --> 00:20:07,760 integration. And we have opted out of 376 00:20:04,320 --> 00:20:10,320 that, but will be absolutely affected by 377 00:20:07,760 --> 00:20:13,919 it. They keep telling us that it's a big 378 00:20:10,320 --> 00:20:17,760 market of ours. Well, that market is 379 00:20:13,919 --> 00:20:20,960 about to be very severely jolted when 380 00:20:17,760 --> 00:20:23,880 Greece defaults, as it certainly will in 381 00:20:20,960 --> 00:20:27,159 the course of this 382 00:20:23,880 --> 00:20:30,440 year. So, for all these 383 00:20:27,159 --> 00:20:34,559 reasons, it's vital that anybody on the 384 00:20:30,440 --> 00:20:37,760 left shakes themselves free of this 385 00:20:34,559 --> 00:20:39,360 illusion that there's anything socialist 386 00:20:37,760 --> 00:20:42,480 about that. 387 00:20:39,360 --> 00:20:45,400 There only one point I pick up not in 388 00:20:42,480 --> 00:20:48,720 disagreement with Paul but to clarify 389 00:20:45,400 --> 00:20:51,440 something. There has not been peace in 390 00:20:48,720 --> 00:20:54,960 Europe since the formation of the 391 00:20:51,440 --> 00:20:57,280 European Union. The European countries 392 00:20:54,960 --> 00:20:58,799 have by and large not fought each other 393 00:20:57,280 --> 00:21:01,360 but they've been going around the world 394 00:20:58,799 --> 00:21:03,600 fighting other people almost on an 395 00:21:01,360 --> 00:21:06,200 annual basis. 396 00:21:03,600 --> 00:21:10,159 In the course of the history of the EU, 397 00:21:06,200 --> 00:21:12,480 France drowned Algeria and Vietnam in 398 00:21:10,159 --> 00:21:15,960 blood. I'm not even going to count the 399 00:21:12,480 --> 00:21:18,720 number of wars and invasions and 400 00:21:15,960 --> 00:21:22,679 occupations we ourselves have been 401 00:21:18,720 --> 00:21:26,080 involved in. German capital 402 00:21:22,679 --> 00:21:28,559 rapidly accelerated the break up of the 403 00:21:26,080 --> 00:21:29,880 former Yugoslavia as an act of 404 00:21:28,559 --> 00:21:33,799 deliberate 405 00:21:29,880 --> 00:21:37,440 policy and left the former 406 00:21:33,799 --> 00:21:38,760 Yugoslavia running in blood. 407 00:21:37,440 --> 00:21:42,240 the 408 00:21:38,760 --> 00:21:46,600 Ukraine. There's a war raging there 409 00:21:42,240 --> 00:21:50,880 directly as a result of EU stroke NATO 410 00:21:46,600 --> 00:21:54,559 policy of belligerance towards Russia. 411 00:21:50,880 --> 00:21:58,559 So there's nothing peaceful about the EU 412 00:21:54,559 --> 00:22:02,360 or most of the most powerful EU 413 00:21:58,559 --> 00:22:08,120 countries uh within it. 414 00:22:02,360 --> 00:22:11,320 So anybody on the left has to 415 00:22:08,120 --> 00:22:13,799 re-examine that which over the last few 416 00:22:11,320 --> 00:22:18,640 years they have perhaps allowed 417 00:22:13,799 --> 00:22:22,039 themselves to slip into the belief that 418 00:22:18,640 --> 00:22:25,360 somehow this is a progressive 419 00:22:22,039 --> 00:22:28,559 organization. It isn't and it can never 420 00:22:25,360 --> 00:22:31,440 be. That's the crucial thing. We can 421 00:22:28,559 --> 00:22:34,919 vote the tries out here. We can't vote 422 00:22:31,440 --> 00:22:38,320 to change the European Union. the 423 00:22:34,919 --> 00:22:41,640 bureaucracy in Brussels, the Council of 424 00:22:38,320 --> 00:22:43,679 Ministers of 28 countries, 18 of them 425 00:22:41,640 --> 00:22:46,720 right-wing countries, right-wing 426 00:22:43,679 --> 00:22:51,120 governments with even farright elements 427 00:22:46,720 --> 00:22:51,120 within their governments are never 428 00:22:51,240 --> 00:22:58,400 going to opt for the progressive things 429 00:22:55,760 --> 00:23:02,159 that people in the labor movement and on 430 00:22:58,400 --> 00:23:05,840 the left here in Britain want to see. 431 00:23:02,159 --> 00:23:09,120 The idea that you could persuade 28 432 00:23:05,840 --> 00:23:10,039 countries soon by the way to be added to 433 00:23:09,120 --> 00:23:12,400 by 434 00:23:10,039 --> 00:23:13,720 others with actually even more 435 00:23:12,400 --> 00:23:16,760 right-wing 436 00:23:13,720 --> 00:23:20,559 politics. The idea that Turkey, for 437 00:23:16,760 --> 00:23:23,039 example, should be admitted into the EU 438 00:23:20,559 --> 00:23:26,480 even though they are, you'll see this on 439 00:23:23,039 --> 00:23:28,960 this week's spot neck by the way. 440 00:23:26,480 --> 00:23:32,840 They're taking over opposition 441 00:23:28,960 --> 00:23:36,240 newspapers by force and turning them 442 00:23:32,840 --> 00:23:40,559 overnight, literally overnight, into 443 00:23:36,240 --> 00:23:41,559 pro- regime newspapers. They're at war 444 00:23:40,559 --> 00:23:45,640 with 445 00:23:41,559 --> 00:23:49,360 25% of their own population, the Kurdish 446 00:23:45,640 --> 00:23:53,640 minority within Turkey. 447 00:23:49,360 --> 00:23:59,039 They're assisting ISIS and al-Qaeda in 448 00:23:53,640 --> 00:24:02,080 both Syria and I believe Iraq. They are 449 00:23:59,039 --> 00:24:03,240 trying to drag us into a war, a wider, 450 00:24:02,080 --> 00:24:07,760 bigger 451 00:24:03,240 --> 00:24:10,960 war against Russia and others. Yet David 452 00:24:07,760 --> 00:24:14,320 Cameron wants to bring them into the 453 00:24:10,960 --> 00:24:16,640 European Union, a country where 454 00:24:14,320 --> 00:24:20,799 arbitrary arrest and torture, 455 00:24:16,640 --> 00:24:24,000 disappearance and murder is the norm 456 00:24:20,799 --> 00:24:29,440 rather than the exception. So it's 28 457 00:24:24,000 --> 00:24:34,240 now. It will soon be more than 28. And 458 00:24:29,440 --> 00:24:37,480 therein lies the problem. If we stay, we 459 00:24:34,240 --> 00:24:41,320 are at the mercy of any two of those 460 00:24:37,480 --> 00:24:45,760 countries. Any two of them can outvote 461 00:24:41,320 --> 00:24:48,080 us. And now it's majority voting on 462 00:24:45,760 --> 00:24:51,760 almost everything. The days when you 463 00:24:48,080 --> 00:24:56,480 could go and exercise a veto are almost 464 00:24:51,760 --> 00:25:00,000 entirely gone. The idea that any two I 465 00:24:56,480 --> 00:25:01,440 mean I I'm not picking on Romania. I'm 466 00:25:00,000 --> 00:25:03,279 the only person in this room that's got 467 00:25:01,440 --> 00:25:06,039 a book published in Romanian and I even 468 00:25:03,279 --> 00:25:09,880 speak some of you language. I love 469 00:25:06,039 --> 00:25:13,200 Romanians. But the idea that Romania and 470 00:25:09,880 --> 00:25:15,760 Bulgaria can tell us who should come 471 00:25:13,200 --> 00:25:18,000 into our country, who can be allowed to 472 00:25:15,760 --> 00:25:20,080 leave our country, what our deficit 473 00:25:18,000 --> 00:25:22,080 should be, what our rate of debt should 474 00:25:20,080 --> 00:25:23,760 be, what we should do with our railway 475 00:25:22,080 --> 00:25:26,360 industry, what we should do with our 476 00:25:23,760 --> 00:25:29,360 steel industry is self 477 00:25:26,360 --> 00:25:30,760 evidently ridiculous. 478 00:25:29,360 --> 00:25:32,840 Now Tony 479 00:25:30,760 --> 00:25:34,520 Ben, 480 00:25:32,840 --> 00:25:38,320 my 481 00:25:34,520 --> 00:25:41,520 father, political, ideological father, 482 00:25:38,320 --> 00:25:44,559 if he were alive, would be standing here 483 00:25:41,520 --> 00:25:47,400 instead of me as the main speaker at 484 00:25:44,559 --> 00:25:51,440 this rally. Eddie would have been 485 00:25:47,400 --> 00:25:52,520 replaced by the late Bob Crow. 486 00:25:51,440 --> 00:25:56,520 This 487 00:25:52,520 --> 00:25:59,600 is a left progressive 488 00:25:56,520 --> 00:26:02,760 internationalist campaign to leave the 489 00:25:59,600 --> 00:26:05,200 European Union. And I say to those 490 00:26:02,760 --> 00:26:08,480 thousands and many thousands who are 491 00:26:05,200 --> 00:26:11,760 watching on Facebook and on Periscope 492 00:26:08,480 --> 00:26:14,480 Live right now, I say to them, don't 493 00:26:11,760 --> 00:26:18,240 fall for the lies. Don't be confused 494 00:26:14,480 --> 00:26:21,360 about who's on a platform with whom. 495 00:26:18,240 --> 00:26:24,400 It's not about that. It's much more 496 00:26:21,360 --> 00:26:27,400 important than that. I believe that 497 00:26:24,400 --> 00:26:31,000 Britain will not only not be leaving 498 00:26:27,400 --> 00:26:34,720 Europe if we leave the EU. We'll be 499 00:26:31,000 --> 00:26:38,240 rejoining the world. We'll be rejoining 500 00:26:34,720 --> 00:26:42,400 the Commonwealth. will be trading freely 501 00:26:38,240 --> 00:26:45,039 and openly with Brazil, with Russia, 502 00:26:42,400 --> 00:26:48,000 with India, with China, with South 503 00:26:45,039 --> 00:26:50,240 Africa, with all the emerging rising 504 00:26:48,000 --> 00:26:54,320 economies in the world. And we'll be 505 00:26:50,240 --> 00:26:56,640 getting out of a fading, failing, flawed 506 00:26:54,320 --> 00:26:58,720 Euro project that we should never have 507 00:26:56,640 --> 00:27:01,880 joined in the first place. Thanks very 508 00:26:58,720 --> 00:27:01,880 much indeed. 509 00:27:12,240 --> 00:27:15,440 Thank you very coach.