by Our News Desk

BIG business will dominate the EU debate unless the labour movement steps up its fight for Britain’s exit on the grounds that membership exploits workers, left figures warned yesterday.

The warning came as senior Tories launched a new group, Conservatives for Britain to campaign for an EU exit. More than 50 Conservative MPs, including former ministers Owen Paterson and John Redwood, are part of the group alongside MEPs including David Campbell Bannerman.

The group supports “the party’s policy of renegotiation and referendum” but is calling for “fundamental” reform such as restricting freedom of movement in the EU and making Westminster sovereign over EU law.

But the Communist Party warned that the view held by many on the left, that Britain should leave the EU based on its pro-business bias that serves to exploit workers, is getting subsumed by Tory infighting and the rise of Ukip.

Communist Party general secretary Rob Griffiths said: “Immigration and the interests of big capital will dominate the EU debate unless the labour movement begins to put the democratic and progressive case against the pro-big business, anti-working class cartel that is the EU.”

And GMB president Mary Turner, addressing the union’s annual conference in Dublin, said a Europe must work for “our members and not the bosses.” She added: “We do not blame the exploited, but damn those that exploit.”