Scargill and the ‘King’ unveil Euro manifesto
by Martin Shipton, Western Mail
FORMER miners’ leader Arthur Scargill met the self-styled King of Hay-on-Wye at the launch of the Socialist Labour Party’s European Parliament election manifesto in Wales.
Mr Scargill, pictured, the party leader, travelled to Hay Castle at the weekend to team up with its owner Richard Booth, who transformed Hay into Britain’s first book town. Mr Booth is one of the party’s candidates in the June 4 poll.
A fierce opponent of the EU, Mr Scargill said it was having a harmful effect on working people in every one of its member states.
Mr Scargill said he wouldn’t pay “a brass farthing” to bankers and financial institutions responsible for the economic crisis. Instead he would use that money, together with that spent on Trident and handouts to private firms, to fund decent pensions to those who had spent their lives working for society. He proposed a figure of £24,000 a year, adding: “Why can’t pensioners receive a realistic amount when MPs are paid far more for a shorter term of service? The Socialist Labour Party is the only real alternative to the corruption of mainstream British politics and the gravy train of the European Union.”
Richard Booth, who moved to Hay in 1961, spoke of the rapid expansion of supermarket chains throughout Wales, which he said was contributing to the demise of small businesses and causing breakdown in communities.
The party’s lead candidate in Wales, Bob English, spoke of the EU as “an exclusive capitalist club supported by multinational corporations and run by unelected bureaucrats”.
Mr English added: “EU energy policy would mean an even greater push for more nuclear power, which is the most dangerous and costly form of energy.
“We should be investing in more environmentally sound forms of energy and the use of clean coal technology and carbon capture.
“EU competition rules and directives have led to the privatisation of our services and utilities and cuts in public sector workers.
“These regulations are leading to hospital and post office closures which are having devastating effects on life in rural Welsh communities.”
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