A new left alliance has formed in Britain to stand in the European Union elections set for June 4.
The March 19 Morning Star wrote: "European elections on June 4 will be electrified by a new left-wing electoral alliance No2EU — Yes to Democracy, which launched today. Candidates are set to reach out to millions of voters across Britain, forcefully challenging the neoliberal economic onslaught from the authoritarian EU."
The alliance's platform includes opposition to the EU constitution, pro-privatisation and anti-union policies and also against the racism of the far-right British National Party (BNP).
The chair of the alliance is Bob Crow, the head of Britain's largest transport union, the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT). Other left groups involved include the Socialist Party, the Communist Party of Britain, the Scottish-based Solidarity, the Liberal Party and the Indian Workers' Association.
Crow explained the reason for the initiative: "My union has been following developments in the European Union for many years and has debated the impact of EU treaties and various directives each year at its annual general meetings. Many RMT members have suffered as the result of EU diktats such as the one which led to the privatisation of our rail network."
Crow said: "To counter this assault on democracy, No2EU — Yes to Democracy is fielding candidates on June 4 to give a voice to voters who feel betrayed by the main parties.
"This crisis of democracy and the very serious economic situation is leading to a rise in support for far-right, fascist parties such as the BNP.
"Yet the BNP has no answers. It peddles hate and seeks to undermine organisations that working people rely on to protect them such as trade unions."
Welcoming the alliance, the Socialist Party said: "No2EU — Yes to Democracy is a temporary platform for the European elections only, with the RMT representatives at the inaugural meeting stressing, unfortunately, that they were not launching a new workers' party. But that does not negate its significance as the first electoral challenge to New Labour initiated by a national trade union, the RMT, the most militant industrial union in Britain."
However, the initiative has not sought to include all organisations on the left. In a statement welcoming the initiative, Socialist Resistance said it was unfortunate that "Respect, the Scottish Socialist Party and the [Socialist Workers Party's] Left Alternative were not drawn into planning the project".
The Scottish Socialist Party is also planning to field candidates for the EU elections. SSP spokesperson Colin Fox said the party "will contest the European elections on our unique anti-capitalist programme ... The SSP looks forward to our part in a European wide protest by the left, socialist and anti-capitalist parties at the terrible consequences for working class people of the financial catastrophe that the banks and big business have brought upon us."