Theresa May and her cabinet are making a complete Horlicks of Brexit. They have so far succeeded only in making the UK the laughing stock of Europe, as well as alienating the Irish, alarming the Scots and Welsh, and even put London’s Mayor and many of the capital’s people and businesses on edge. And having activated Article 50 of the Lisbon treaty earlier this year, they have little time left to sort themselves out.
The Tories’ press allies are an equally lamentable shambles. The aimless echoing of every move Ms May makes, only to see it fall apart and then have to desperately spin and reverse ferret, is equalled only by the amateurish hurling of abuse at the Irish (again), anyone in Brussels, the European Court of Justice, and all that social media territory which they cannot control, which therefore does not bend to their bidding.
So far, the Labour leadership has been keeping a watching brief and steering clear of marking out a fixed position: after all, Jeremy Corbyn is not in power, and therefore does not need to spend inordinate amounts of time staking out a policy position. But the May Government is showing signs of fracturing, under the conflicting stances of cabinet ministers, and, whisper it quietly, those outside Government who control them.
The fatal collapse of the Tory Government - which, after all, is already a minority administration, propped up only by the DUP - could happen at any time. Given Jezza’s appetite for campaigning, and the effect this had on last June’s General Election, it is not unthinkable that the smallest of Labour poll leads could have become substantial by polling day, should another contest be called soon. Which means one thing.
Corbyn would then be swept into Downing Street. Not only would the right-leaning press enter involuntary bowel movement territory as Part 2 of the Leveson Inquiry was green-lighted and Section 40 of the Crime and Courts Act commenced, the Brexit propaganda from the press establishment aimed at bending Government to its will would also be rendered useless. But Corbyn and his cabinet would have to confront the issue.
So they have to be prepared for inheriting the Tory mess and getting the UK out of it, and in very short order indeed. What would they do? Would the Single Market and Customs Union be retained? If so, what would be the point of continuing with the Brexit charade? Would Labour go as far as to see what deal was on offer? Would they then put that to the electorate? Have they gamed this one? Because they need all those answers.
After Jezza proved the doubters wrong last June and actually increased Labour’s vote share and seat numbers, it was not easy to say he got it wrong. But now comes the real deal: the Tories are in such a shambolic state, with Theresa May little more now than The Prisoner Of Downing Street, that there has to be someone there to pick up the pieces after she and her clown car are shuffled off to the scrapyard.
Galbraith’s definition of leadership once again applies: “All of the great leaders have had one characteristic in common; it was their willingness to confront unequivocally the major anxiety of their people in their time. This, and not much else, is the essence of leadership”.
The Tories won’t give their people leadership. And they may be out sooner rather than later. Jeremy Corbyn must confront the major anxiety of the people. His time is now.
6 comments:
If nothing else convinces Corbyn to step up to the plate over Brexit, surely the prospect of leading a Labour government presiding over the fiscal, social and economic consequences of the greatest act of self-harm by any government in living memory should do it.
Forget the EU-won't-let-us-nationalise bollocks, and remember that a crashed economy won't allow you to implement ANYTHING in the manifesto. And the ensuing failure will keep Labour out for another generation or two.
I always said that Northern Ireland would be the sticking point.
Options
a) Have UK out of EU but in the Single Market and Customs Union - this prevents hard border between Eire and NI. But what would be the point?
b) Have Eire and NI using same EU regulations - i.e. hard border between GB and NI. But that's not going to happen as scuppered by DUP.
My preference would have been right at the start get rid of the bigots in NI!
Hence GB leaves EU - simples!
And NI can decide for itself what it wants. They are not British they are Northern Irish.
I agree with the blog end sentence.
In one sense the last election was "a good one to lose" while increasing Labour seats. Now the tories are exposed for the loose collection of barrow boys and spivs they've always been. So is their far right monopoly owned media. The mess and incompetence is obvious to all but the most moronic Sun and Daily Mail "reader". It doesn't require much imagination to think what propaganda the Murdoch/Rothermere goons would have churned out had Labour won and performed thus.
It would be sensible for Labour to call for another referendum, promote the kind of detail discussion that never took place during the first ballot and above all expose "the immigration issue" for the heap of disgusting racist lies it always was and is. Given the tory mess, I am confident a new vote would obliterate the xenophobes and Murdoch/Rothermere far right liars.
As matters stand, a victorious Labour would face the most appalling problems. But they can take heart from the Atlee government of 1945 who faced an even worse situation, yet succeeded in transforming the country into a hopeful and decent place to live, work, and raise kids with hope. It was no paradise - there's no such thing - but by god it was a damned sight better than the corrupt, evil self-profiteering filth the tories have tried to replace it with: A nation with a quarter of its population in poverty, students facing a life time of debt, thousands of pensioners dying from hypothermia each winter because they can't afford privatised utility
company bills, and cheap do-nothing hoods like Richard Branson ripping off the NHS. And that's only the tip of the rotten tory iceberg.
Rank and file Labour members fell the New Labour far right tory-type corruption. Now they've started to get rid of it they need to restore the party to its original ideals. Capitalism was given a free run, showed just how awful it is and failed at every level that matters. It will take decades to restore decency in this country. The sooner we start, the better. Now is the time for courage. If Labour fail this time the future scarcely bears thinking about. Our children are owed more than that. Now is not the time for faint hearts in the face of inevitable mainstream media far right propaganda (and that includes BBC "News" and politics), plus the usual US Nazi sabotage of democracy.
Unfortunately, leadership has come late to Jeremy Corbyn, as it did to Michael Foot. We are about to find out if it is TOO late. If it is, this country faces a dreadful prospect, even worse division, more war, and a slowly advancing dry rot of the soul promoted by quislings like Benn, Mann and Umunna. Maybe that's all we deserve.
In the event of a GE Corbyn should do one thing; promise a referendum on the final deal. This would keep existing Labour voters onside, including those Blairites who may be having thoughts of placing their votes elsewhere, and would also attract the votes of many traditional Tory supporters who wish to remain.
@Blackjack. A voice of sanity in a wilderness of deceit and bullshit. Well said.
To Blackjack Sam.
The Blairites already "place their votes elsewhere".
If you want to know where, consult the words of Blair, which said, "I have destroyed Labour's core beliefs".
He didn't of course. But he certainly sold his arse trying. Which is why he and his suckholes are held in such contempt, and why he is the most discredited prime minister in British history.
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