A conversation with Dorothy Guerrero and Kolya Ambramsky.

Britain voted to leave the European Union in 2016, a decision that surprised many and with complex consequences that are still unfolding. Some interpreted it as the revolt of the have-nots against neoliberal globalisation, other see rising xenophobia and perceived threats of immigration as the main concerns that swung the vote. The British progressive and Left groups have varying position about the EU. Some campaigned for a Left Exit (Lexit) and some campaigned for the UK to remain within the EU. The British Left’s efforts during the referendum to expose the dominance of corporate agenda in the neo-liberal framework of the EU as a roadblock to radical fiscal and environmental reforms to effect a Lexit vote did not lead to a wide and deeper understanding of the UK’s role as a co-architect of the current EU that favour the interests of the few and not the many. However, the rise of Jeremy Corbyn – his transformation from an idealist to a statesman and possible prime minister – is bringing about hope for a more compassionate Britain. What are the prospects for a “hard-Left Labour” to be the next government in Britain? Will it be able to put the “ferocious beast of free-market capitalism on a leash” before it devours all around it? Can the British Left defeat racism and put an end to the prevailing hostile environment for immigrants? What would a post-Brexit UK trade relations, especially with developing countries, look like and how can we build a broader global solidarity for just trade and corporate accountability?

Our Speakers:

Dorothy Guerrero is currently Head of Policy and Advocacy of Global Justice Now, a UK campaign organisation based in London and Edinburgh. She previously worked with Transnational Institute, Focus on the Global South, Asienhaus Germany and Institute for Popular Democracy. She works on and writes about globalisation, China, climate change and energy, corporate power, and migration.

Kolya Abramsky is a freelance author and editor. He edited the book “Restructuring Resistance: diverse voices of struggles in Western Europe” and “Sparking Worldwide Energy Revolution: social struggles in the transition to a post-petrol world.”