Press release: Article 50 heralds Bonfire of Rights
The racist and xenophobic Leave campaign, together with the election of right-wing demagogue Donald Trump in the US, are part of a dangerous turn to the right in world politics.
Since the referendum, one third of black and Asian people in this country have experienced some form of racism. EU citizens are being used as bargaining chips and are themselves subject to attack. From today, the process of removing their rights in this country will begin.
That is just the start. This hard Brexit will see the rights of all workers, migrants, women, ethnic minorities and LGBT communities under attack. There is also a serious risk that disabled people’s rights will be swept away by Brexit. Brexit is a disaster and we are determined to oppose it.
Principal Speaker Sharon McCourt said:
“History is being made. At stake are our rights at work, our human and equality rights and even the planet we live on is threatened, with the removal of enviromental protections. And now more than ever we must stand with migrants and continue our fight to defend the freedom of movement for all.”
Principal Speaker Joseph Healy said:
“Brexit is the trigger for the start of a new dark age in UK politics which will lead to an increase in xenophobia and racism. The rights of EU citizens must be upheld and a race to the bottom in terms of employment and environmental rights fought all the way.”
Ends:
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Not to mention the devastating impact Brexit is likely to have on disabled people. Disability News Service reports:
Professor Anna Lawson, head of the Centre for Disability Studies and the new Disability Law Hub at the University of Leeds, said there was a risk that disability rights would be “swept away by the great repeal bill (GRB)”, the main piece of legislation that will repeal the legislation that ties the UK to the EU and incorporates EU law into domestic law.
Although the government has promised that the protections currently provided under EU law will be matched by the GRB, she said, the government can start amending and repealing some of those laws after the bill becomes law.
She also warned that some “really important disability rights” provided under EU law – such as the legislation that guarantees assistance to disabled passengers on ships and planes – are not included in UK legislation, so it was important that they “do not get lost” in the Brexit process
What a pity Left Unity’s press release excludes disabled people ….