The following motion was agreed at our Branch Committee meeting on 28th November 2018.

End Tory Brexit Chaos! General Election Now!

Salford City UNISON notes that Theresa May’s Tory government is on the brink of collapse. With each day passing there are more and more resignations, coups, plots and potential leadership challenges.

The trade union and labour movement must intervene now to ensure that the interests of working class people are met and defended out of this chaos.

Salford City UNISON believes that racism continues to be part of the Brexit debate. Theresa May in trying to win support for her deal is highlighting how it will “end free movement once and for all”. It is Theresa May’s hostile environment that has led to the deplorable treatment of the Windrush Generation, migrants, Muslims and refugees.

We must also take on any attempts by the far-right to use Brexit to promote their racist, xenophobic and fascist agendas. This includes mobilising in large numbers to oppose demonstrations and actions called by Stephen Yaxley-Lennon (a.k.a. Tommy Robinson), UKIP, the FLA, DFLA and other such forces. This is of greater importance now that Yaxley-Lennon has been appointed as a UKIP adviser. It is clear that UKIP see an opportunity to rebuild on a far right basis. This represents a dangerous development and emphasises a need for unity to oppose Yaxley-Lennon and other far right forces.

This branch further believes that the trade union leaders should meet immediately by calling an emergency TUC General Council with Corbyn and McDonnell, to call and organise mass, emergency protest action, including a national demonstration to fight to kick out the Tory government and force a general election.

This branch calls for:

• General election now! Jeremy Corbyn and the trade unions must meet urgently to call mass action, including organising an emergency national demonstration, to kick out the Tories.
• No support for the Tory deal – it’s been struck in the interests of big business and the super-rich.
• After the successful Unity Demonstration against Racism & Fascism supported by TUC, continued opposition to Yaxley-Lennon, UKIP and the far right.
• Action to pursue a Brexit that defends existing freedom of movement and extends it to people from across the world, while also recognising the need to build a society where no worker feels compelled to move through economic necessity or to flee war and persecution.
• Re-open negotiations on the basis of opposition to an EU single market or customs union that prevents state aid, insists upon market liberalisation or affirms decisions like the posted workers’ directives that go against the interests of workers.