This discussion of the 1983 General Election (the one in which Legaleagle canvassed and was apparently told that people wanted nationalisation of the banks and major industries, unilateral nuclear disarmament, and the lifting of immigration controls, but would reluctantly postpone those great reforms to re-elect a Tory), triggered me to re-read the Labour Party Manifesto of 1983.

The section on 'Britain and the Common Market' makes interesting reading:

"Geography and history determine that Britain is part of Europe, and Labour wants to see Europe safe and prosperous. But the European Economic Community was never devised to suit us, and our experience as a member of it has made it more difficult for us to deal with our economic and industrial problems. It has sometimes weakened our ability to achieve the objectives of Labour's international policy. The next Labour government, committed to radical, socialist policies for reviving the British economy, is bound to find continued membership a most serious obstacle to the fulfilment of those policies. In particular the rules of the Treaty of Rome are bound to conflict with our strategy for economic growth and full employment, our proposals on industrial policy and for increasing trade, and our need to restore exchange controls and to regulate direct overseas investment. Moreover, by preventing us from buying food from the best sources of world supply, they would run counter to our plans to control prices and inflation. For all these reasons, British withdrawal from the Community is the right policy for Britain - to be completed well within the lifetime of the parliament. That is our commitment."

It could be from the UKIP manifesto (apart from the 'radical, socialist policies for ruining (sorry should read reviving) the British economy'. Why the complete change of direction Labour? I know left wingers are used to sudden changes of party line when they have to condemn things when they are perpetrated by people they disapprove of, but ignore the same things when they are carried out by comrades, but this is a startling turn around. I did read somewhere that Corbyn is still anti-EU, but I expect he is still mentally in 1983. In any event he is very quite on the subject,

mother-in-law is an anagram of woman hitler