As if to underscore the way in which so many in the Press and Pundit Establishment exist in their own parallel universe, where politics is just a game and the collateral damage - poverty, poor wages, bad housing, homelessness, poor health and hopelessness - is someone else’s problem, alleged doyen of political editors Tim Shipman of the Murdoch Sunday Times has declared that the Tories are war-gaming a snap General Election.
Indeed, there it is on the paper’s front page today: “May’s team plot snap election to save Brexit … PM faces new cabinet battle over immigration”. Whistle those upmarket doggies! You readers want Brexit, don’t you? Well, the bloke who owns this paper wants it, despite not having the vote in the UK, so that’s good enough for his hacks. And immigration too - get rid of all those people who talk funny or who don’t look like us, eh?
So what kind of bull has Shippers been shipping this time? “Theresa May’s aides have secretly began contingency planning for a snap election in November to save the Brexit talks and her job after EU leaders rebuffed the Prime Minister’s Chequers plan … Two senior members of May’s Downing Street political operation responded to her summit humiliation in Salzburg last week by ‘war-gaming’ an Autumn vote to win public backing for a new plan.” And, as Jon Stewart might have said, two things here.
One, it’s not much of a secret if it’s on the front page of the Sunday Times. And more significantly, Two, by November the Brexit talks, or what is left of them, should have been completed and an agreement - if there is to be one - reached.
There is, of course, a third problem for Theresa May and her merry band, and that is not only that many in her own party would be less than totally enthusiastic about going to the country yet again, but also that they would have to deal with something called the Labour Party. We know what happened last time she called a snap poll.
Moreover, there are two distinct problems for the PM to confront with Labour. One, during last year’s campaign, Labour began with a 16 point poll deficit and narrowed it to just two points by polling day. And Two, Jeremy Corbyn has just agreed to back a so-called “Peoples’ Vote” on the terms of whatever agreement Theresa May reaches with the EU.
With 86% of Labour members estimated to back that strategy, and strong support for the idea from the Lib Dems, the SNP, Greens and even some Tories, Corbyn has not only killed Brexit stone dead by his latest move - minor point, eh Shippers - he has effectively rallied all those opposed to the Brexit charade to his standard.
That would give Labour a significant advantage in what would undoubtedly be the most vicious, dirtiest and least honest Tory campaign in history. Smethwick in 1964? Sun Kinnock lightbulb front page in 1992? The abuse hurled at Michael Foot in 1983? What the Tories’ press pals will hurl at Jezza will be of a magnitude greater.
But for the man Guardian cartoonist Steve Bell characterised as “Jezbi-Wan Cornorbyn”, this time the force is truly with him. Labour has mass membership. It has the organisation. It has the New Media support. And it is talking the language of ordinary voters.
Corbyn has killed Brexit. A snap election, and he’ll kill off the Tories, too. Bring it on.
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7 comments:
The only downside? Rightly or wrongly, apart from the hard core Corbynistas Jezza is not perceived as PM material by the electorate even lagging behind the lacklustre Maybot in the popularity polls.
It is going to be interesting to see how this "plays" out given that Jezza is not known to be especially keen on the EU.
"Corbyn has killed Brexit" wow— Corbyn has done precisely nothing apart from try really hard not to do anything. If the Labour Conference agrees a meaningful people's vote then it will have happened despite Corbyn, not because of him. And he will be able to say "I am but humbly and honourably serving the wishes of Conference."
"A Peoples’ Vote” on the terms of whatever agreement Theresa May reaches with the EU" — and therein lies the rub: if it's to be a vote between whatever mouldy dog-vomit Theresa brings back, or the catastrophic no-deal, with no option to cancel the whole poo-flinging contest, then that's going to be yet another travesty of democracy.
You can see the movie headline: "T-Maynator versus The Predabyn: whoever wins - we all lose"
You can always tell when tories are on the run: Some of them start bleating, "One's as bad as the other."
None of it matters. Labour are on course to win any near future election, Brexit or no Brexit shenanigans, corporate media smears or no corporate media smears (which, of course, will get much worse and much more desperate).
And when it comes to "personality" bullshit the tories still have to overcome the dead brains and narrow hearts of dipshits like Johnson, Gove, Hammond, Green, Shapps, Osborne, Cameron, McVey and Hunt, to say nothing of a leader with bad teeth in a sour downturned mouth, a face like a smacked arse, a complete inability to speak spontaneously and the "dance moves" of an arthritic crab.......See, anyone can play that game.
If Labour DO win the election the real test will be how radical their legislation will be in the first 100-200 days. It won't be easy, but there has to be an immediate start to overturn the last four decades of inflicted greed and theft, warmongering and deliberate destruction of communities at home and abroad. There will be no help whatever from the New Labour gang of Bomber Benn and the rest of the quislings. There will be immediate attacks from international capitalism, particularly via currency manipulation. The Oxbridge senior civil service crew will do everything to sabotage genuine radicalism. Corporate media and its liars are, of course, a write off from the beginning.
The task is formidable. If Labour in government don't this time face up to it right away the consequences for the country will be as dire as they were under the tories and New Labour betrayal. A thorough house cleaning is required and it must be done in full public gaze, including exposure of sabotage attempts at home and abroad and identification of the guilty parties. Anything less will fail.
Those who claim Corbyn is not considered PM material maybe being asked the wrong question.
Do you want a PM who is accountable to Parliament and will stick to Cabinet government or do you want a Presidential style of leadership?
The role of PM in the UK since Thatcher has increasingly become akin to the President of USA or President of the EU Council. With one caveat with extraordinary powers not limited by Parliament or statue.
Corbyn is a team player, not Blair who saw himself as a President. He allows his Shadow Cabinet to develop policies and ideas without them being subject to scrutiny of the Leaders Office.
Only the Blairites will be shedding tears today as their last remaining stick to beat Corbyn has been shattered.
So many including commenters on here just miss the entire idea of Jeremy Corbyn. Whether it's right or wrong his image is that of the "anti-politician" who will not indulge in the mindless shenanigans that now turn off people in the millions. Corbyn is actually playing better politics than the rest of them combined. Even his image: "not PM material"- the most ridiculous comment of modern times (where is the Prime Minister School one attends?), the open-necked shirt, the rather shambolic appearance.
Anyone in public relations or publicity knows that the public grows weary of the same thing- and today we have an anonymous bunch of blue-suited, conservative tie wearing clones in all parties. The shiny suited "spivs" like Chuka Umunna & Peter Mandelson have had their day.
Corbyn is the friendly neighbor who will lend a hand in the garden. His image is perfect for the times (for crying out loud- it almost worked last time)and his persistent in not courting the gutter media which has even lost ground since the last election is working. He's done the impossible and what no other politician has ever done in the UK: he has energized 100,000s of members to diligently plug away promoting Labour. The Tories are a mess. The Blair era ( Tory Light) is over, dead as the Dodo.
Just a point of order- Corbyn hasn't quite backed a People's Vote, just said that he would respect a vote in favour of one if it takes place at the Labour conference. There's also a suggestion that such a motion could be deliberately vague to give the leadership a bit of 'wriggle room'. So hopefully one will take place and be passed, but we're not quite out of the woods yet. It's still a welcome development, though.
@ Jonathan
"Do you want a PM who is accountable to Parliament and will stick to Cabinet government or do you want a Presidential style of leadership? "
That is a good question. And rather depends on who is "selected" for Cabinet posts doesn't it? If they are going to be "selected" as being in the same image as the PM you rather end up with the same result.
Also of course you still have to persuade the electorate either way. One can distrust the polls all you like but they are still the best indicator we have. An they are nowhere near where an effective opposition should be currently.
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