Brexit Must Be Buried BEFORE a General Election is Held

For Once Blair is Right – An Election Now is an Elephant Trap

It pains me to say it but the old war criminal is right!  Along with about 5,000 others, I attended the demonstration outside Parliament this evening.  Contrary to the description of it as a Momentum demonstration I did not spot one single Momentum banner. Tariq Ali in particular was in good form!

However the adventures were all taking place inside the House of Commons. In what must rank as the greatest split in the Conservative Party since the passing of the Corn Laws in 1846, not only did Boris Johnson lose his majority because Philip Lee MP crossed the floor of the House to join the Lib-Dems but 21 of his own MPs voted in favour of the Commons taking control of its own business.

Rees-Mogg, the multi-millionaire whose disdain and arrogance is written all over his face

It is said that those whom the gods seek to destroy they first drive mad and at first sight it would seem that Johnson, alongside his dementor, Dominic Cummings (creatures that are said to suck happiness out of life) have decided to hijack the Tory Party and in so doing alienate their natural big business supporters. Time will tell how this ploy works out but sacking two former Chancellors of the Exchequer and a raft of former Ministers doesn’t seem the best way out of the crisis.

Racist Brexit Poster

However it could be argued that from Johnson’s perspective he had no choice. By sacking his detractors and going for a new election he can then remake the Tory party in his own image. If that is the strategy it is a decidedly risky one since he is alienating the ruling class. Boris’s tenure in No. 10 may be limited.

However my concern is not with the fate of the Tory Party but the Labour Party. The question is what does Jeremy Corbyn do now?

I have to be blunt. Corbyn’s strategy for the past 3 years on Brexit has been dire. There is no mistake he hasn’t made from calling for Theresa May to initiate Article 50 on day one to having to be dragged screaming into supporting a second referendum.

Sir Robert Peel, at the time of the Corn Laws, surrounded by Disraeli and others taunting him - the Tories were out of power for 30 years as a result

Even now Labour’s position is unclear as Corbyn genuflects to the position of the Communist  Party 40 years ago when the Soviet Union sought to weaken the then EEC and left-wing trade union leaders preferred to indulge in a bout of nationalism to fighting the social contract policies of the Wilson and Callaghan governments.

Corbyn’s inability to articulate his position on virtually anything has severely weakened his position.  When socialists support him it is despite his actions not because of them.

Demonstration outside Parliament last night

Corbyn's capitulation to the fake anti-Semitism smears has spread the view that the Labour Party is anti-Semitic. He idiotically adopted the IHRA definition of anti-Semitism in order to play #metoo to Theresa May.  An act of utter stupidity and contrary to everything he had done before becoming leader.

Someone who possessed an ounce of backbone and/or intelligence would have pointed to the real racism against asylum seekers on the Labour Right and the hypocrisy of those who created the ‘hostile environment’ policy leading to the Windrush Scandal and the failures over Grenfell Tower.

Corbyn’s apologising and temporising for ‘anti-Semitism’, his refusal to state where he stood on Brexit and much more has resulted in a large part of his earlier support drifting into the camp of his opponents.  People can pretend otherwise but Corbyn would have difficulty mustering a majority in another vote for leader today.

Throwing supporters like Ken Livingstone, Chris Williamson, Pete Willsman, Jackie Walker, Marc Wadsworth and of course myself to the wolves has weakened him.  Repeatedly the Zionist Jewish Labour Movement have come back for more victims and at their last poorly attended conference passed a motion of no confidence in him almost unanimously. Almost pathetically, Corbyn’s response to the JLM’s threat of leaving Labour was to beg them to stay!

Corbyn’s refusal to adopt a clear remain position has allowed the Lib-Dems to recover from a near terminal position in 2017 to a situation where they are now almost level pegging at around 20%, just behind the Labour Party.

I can’t even be bothered with those fools who believe that because the European Union is a neo-liberal organisation that we should leave. As if the prospects of an independent British capitalist state under the thumb of Donald Trump, low taxes, American companies in the NHS and chlorinated chicken is an advantage since we will now pass our own laws.  We will even have our own reactionary judges making decisions, immune to the influence of those foreigners on the European Court of Justice.

The idea that you might remain part of the EU whilst opposing the competition laws and refusing to accept any interference in renationalisation has not occurred to Corbyn or his supporters. Remain and Reform should have been our slogan.

However this does not solve the problem of what to do now.  The House of Commons will no doubt pass legislation tomorrow preventing a no deal Brexit.  Given that he has sacked 21 Tory MPs Johnson seems to have copper bottomed his own defeat.  The question is what Labour should do.

At the present time it would, in my opinion, be madness to vote for a general election. Brexit needs to be sorted out and the only way that can be done is a second referendum. Corbyn should be pushing that strongly. The situation today has obviously changed since 2016 since people know what the choices are – No Deal or Staying in the EU.

If, instead of continuing to drag his feet, Corbyn were to lead the campaign for a second referendum and whip Labour members into line there is every chance that such legislation would pass.  It is after such a result that there should be a general election. The effect of a positive, yes vote in a Referendum would be to totally destroy the standing and credibility of Boris Johnson but it needs Labour not the Lib Dems to be seen to be leading that campaign.

I write this in the knowledge that my advice will be ignored.  Almost alone of bloggers and writers I predicted, in two articles in April and June 2016 the prospect of a hung Parliament. If there is a general election soon I have to say I feel no such confidence. Corbynism may have run its course.

Tony Greenstein