GFTU BGCM 2019 Minutes

dead and the far right are dead, I can assure you they are very much alive and

kicking and when you go out on the doorstep knocking on doors, that is the first

thing that people say: “I’m not racist, but …” I think we have got to be very

careful what we wish for, because it is happening more and more. You have

just mentioned it. When you mentioned, Larry, about the economy after the

Second World War where the deficit was far larger than what it was in 2009,

that was a socialist government in place that put the infrastructure in that

everybody needed. I cannot work out how we are going to control the

narrative. If there is a narrative on the left that suggests everything will be

good if we come out of Europe, I think it will only be good if there is a socialist

government, but I worry that if we do not control the narrative, the media

control the narrative through the Sun newspaper, the Mail and other things, and

who do they give platforms to? The likes of the Stephen Yaxley-Lennons of

this world and the Nigel Farages of this world. Unfortunately, we have a

gullible public that actually think that they are true working class people that are

on their side and it is like going back to the days of Hitler again in the 30s when

that rise of fascism came in Germany.

I can understand why some of the left would want a Brexit. I consider myself

to be on the left, but I voted for Remain, because I do not see a socialist

government coming to fruition unless there is a sea change in the narrative

being controlled by the left in this country. The only way you can control the

narrative is through the media and we do not have that, apart from the Morning

Star.

LARRY ELLIOTT: I think we will have to agree to disagree on that. There are lots of

good left wing people who are on the Remain side, I think that is absolutely

right. I am just a bit more optimistic about there being a left wing government.

I think to say that we need to stay in the EU because that is the only way to

defend workers’ rights is somewhat pessimistic. I am confident that a left wing

government could and would make a real difference here. Lots of the workers’

rights pre-date the European Union anyway. This argument really started with

Jacques Delors and the TUC back in the late 1980s. Tory governments were

going to be with us forever, therefore the only way that you can protect yourself

123