Labour’s Left Teaming Up With Varoufakis to Keep UK in Europe

On Saturday, in a day-long event at the UCL Institute of Education in London, Varoufakis, Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell, Labour MP Clive Lewis and the leadership of grassroots pro-Jeremy Corbyn movement Momentum spoke in favor of staying and changing the EU from within.

Together with other politicians, activists and organizations, they united under the aegis of pro-stay group Another Europe is Possible, just days after a cross-party parliamentary committee accused both official campaigns — pro-Brexit Vote Leave and pro-remain Stronger In— of misleading voters.

“Both the Remain and the Leave official campaigns are infantilising voters, showing statistics that are not worth the paper they are printed on, and polarizing voters,” Varoufakis said in his speech.

He explained that, although he himself had clashed with Brussels’ overbearing and undemocratic institutions last year—when he fought against EU’s bailout plan for Greece— working to change them was the only viable solution.

Leaving, he said, would cause recession throughout the continent and eventually lead to the advent of far-right extremists.

“Do you think EU’s disintegration would cause the rise of Democrats across Europe? I doubt it,” Varoufakis said.

Varoufakis’s paneuropean movement DiEm25 has opened branches in Germany, Spain and now in the UK. Its manifesto, calling for democratic reforms and increased transparency for the European Union’s institutions, was displayed on the stage at the event, and signed by Labour’s Lewis and Green MP Caroline Lucas.

Speaking at the event’s closing rally, Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell said a left-wing-led pro-stay campaign was sorely needed in the discussion over the UK’s role in the EU. “We can’t allow the conservatives and the intellectual right to drag the Brexit debate to the gutter,” he said. He also criticized the pro-Brexit campaign’s exaggerate focus on EU immigration saying he was “proud to be the grandson of an Irish migrant worker.”

McDonnell added that, while he respected the anti-EU arguments of many on the political left — which criticize the Union for being overwhelmingly pro-business and pro-trade— he also thought they were wrong. McDonnell’s remarks, together with Momentum’s support for the stay camp aimed to dispel fears Labour voters might choose to leave (the so-called “Lexit” scenario.)

With just weeks remaining before Brits finally cast their ballot in the June 23 referendum, one is left wondering if the British left’s move could have come too late to work.

A more interesting question, though, is whether the spirit of Another Europe is Possible would survive and really inspire EU reform if the Brexit does not happen— and what role the Labour Party and especially Yanis Varoufakis would play in that scenario.

The Greek “rockstar economist” is becoming a continent-wide opinion leader for the European left, and his explicit endgame is opening a DiEM25 section in every European country.

Could DiEM25 movement eventually become a transnational party, and run for European election?

“Maybe, maybe—even if, before we run, we’ll have to start walking,” Varoufakis told Sputnik at the end of the London event.