Independent UK: Politicians must recognise that globalisation is in retreat

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Adrian Hamilton: Politicians must recognise that globalisation is in retreat

You cannot brush aside the strikers' concerns with free trade platitudes


Thursday, 5 February 2009


One by one the great and good of the land have stepped forward to pronounce on the wave of strikes over foreign workers and to condemn them. "Xenophobia" is the dread threat raised by Lord Mandelson. "Protectionism" and even the British National Party have been the spectres raised by his colleagues.

And quite right too. Protectionism would be the worst fate to befall the world at this time. There is no reason to fear the EU in this context. The figures show that British workers have largely benefited from it. The political class is wise to warn of what could happen if the cause of these strikes were hijacked by the nationalists, the europhobes and the little Englanders.

But listening to the spokesmen of the workers involved I don't get the feeling that the actions do arise from xenophobia or hatred of Europe (although there is precious little love of it in this country). Indeed the leaders seem to be at pains to distance themselves from such causes, partly because the thrust of this dispute appears to come not from the unskilled, who have been most affected by immigrant labour, but from the skilled workers such as pipefitters who know the benefit of an open market.

If there is a broad resentment it comes from that British sense of fairness; the feeling that it isn't a level playing field, that foreign firms have favoured their nationals in the better jobs.

Now you can argue until the jobs come back whether this amounts to a demand for protection and a call to tear up the rules of open market in Europe (Unison has come dangerously close to that in recent statements). But what you shouldn't do – although that is what ministers are doing – is simply to brush the concerns aside with airy statements about principles of free trade. ......(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/adrian-hamilton/adrian-hamilton-politicians-must-recognise-that-globalisation-is-in-retreat-1546282.html