More on Brexit
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There is no doubt that Corbyn can talk the talk, just like Bernie Sanders. But we know it is all a matter of also walking the walk and we have yet to see either demonstrate that they can and from our knowledge of history, we know regardless of sincerity, they won’t be able too.
And here’s resigning junior minister, Nigel Adams. More to come no doubt.
It also appears that the risk of division for Labour is wider than believed as this report suggests.
“…Labour is on the brink of a major bust-up if Jeremy Corbyn fails to demand a second referendum as the price for any Brexit deal struck with Theresa May….”
Part of the trade of a political correspondent is being a bit of a shit-stirrer by highlighting and to that extent contributing to differences within parties. As there’s no majority in parliament for another referendum (so, thankfully, we should avoid that inconvenience being inflicted on us), the government and Labour could agree that parliament should decide whether or not any agreement they may reach should be put to a confirmatory referendum. In fact the government has already hinted that it might itself propose an indicative vote on this. When it fails they will be happy and Corbyn will be able to say I tried but that the numbers weren’t there.
The other thing that happened in parliament yesterday was that an a bill got passed in only 4 hours. That deals with one objection that used to be raised to our policy of using elections and parliament as part of the process of abolishing capitalism and establishing socialism. It shows that, in this country at least, capitalist property rights could be abolished constitutionally as well as democratically and in less than four hours. As the bill was passed by just one vote that disposes of one silly objection to our policy about whether by majority we mean 50% + 1. We don’t but if this was the case it could still be done.
p.s. just heard while typing this a government minister, Mike Hancock, call Corbyn a Marxist (at 8.16 on BBC Radio 4). They’re all at it. Still, Corbyn would no doubt prefer to being referred to as that rather than as an anti-Semite, though neither are true.
Alb said
“You don’t have to be a Marxist to recognise that there are two classes in society. ”
Not the point I made. In fact it is a completely different point
No acknowledgement to the correction I made? I have never known the SPGB to be so ill informed on the subject of contemporary politics.
“As there’s no majority in parliament for another referendum…”
Not yet perhaps although the second indicative vote (1 April) on the motion to hold a second referendum was defeated by only 12 (the first, a few days earlier, being lost by 27).
For those interested there’s this link to the parliamentary debate arising from the petition to “Revoke Article 50 and remain in the EU.”
The last time MPs voted on holding a referendum it was lost by 292 votes to 280, with all 29 Cabinet ministers abstaining. As you need to get about 310 votes to get something through, the proposal needs another 30 or votes. Where are they going to come from? That would require some of the 292 opponents or those who boycotted the indicative votes to switch or the whole Cabinet to vote for it. It is much more likely that the opponents will find the 20 extra votes they require to defeat the proposition. We’ll see as it’s almost certain to be put to a vote again.
Sure but it’s still worth noting that support for a second referendum increased by 12 votes with a concomitant decrease of 3 opposed in the space of just one weekend!
Support for the view that those Tories calling Corbyn a Marxist are wrong has come from an unexpected source, the Tory-leaning Spectator:
The news that Theresa May is having talks with Corbyn has got some Tory supporters hot under the collar. Some are cutting up their membership cards. ‘Don’t talk to this Marxist!’, they cry, suggesting they’re in dire need of a dictionary so that they might look up what the word Marxist actually means.
The Brexiteers are claiming that if Brexit doesn’t happen political democracy in Britain will be crippled and there will be rioting on the streets. The result of the Newport by-election held yesterday shows this to be empty rhetoric. The turnout was only 37%, i.e. 63% are indifferent and couldn’t care less whether or not Brexit happens. True, UKIP increased its share of the vote from 2.5% to 8.6% but, in numbers, this was an increase of only 923 compared with the 2017 general election (from 1100 to 2023). On the other hand, the three pro-Remain parties (LibDems, Greens and the Welsh Nationalists) also increased the number voting for them, by 657.
So, there is some slight increase in both directions of those concerned about the issue, but 63% of the electors take up our position that Brexit is not an issue that concerns them either way. They are just not interested in the trading arrangements of the UK capitalist class. Far from rioting in the streets people will just get on with their life as before.
For the record, here’s some more crazy stuff from Trotskists about Brexit.
This is the best from 3 April issue The News Line, the daily still brought out by one of the WRPs:
INDICATIVE VOTES ARE REJECTED FOR A SECOND TIME — UK MUST LEAVE EU ON APRIL 12th! (… ) The determination of the current British ruling class to put the ‘backward and ignorant people back into their pre-refertendum place’ is now angering millions of workers and inviting the same fate as the previous ruling class. Without a doubt, this arrogance will drive the working class to rise and settle the issue by shutting down parliament and bringing in a workers republic, run by workers councils managing a planned socialist economy.
Yes, without a doubt!
Second best is this from a “Spartacist League” leaflet:
Down with racist, anti-worker EU! No second referendum! Corbyn aids Brexit betrayal ( … ) The decisive leave vote in the 2016 referendum was a stunning defeat for the City of London, whicgh it has been trying to reverse ever since (…) Britain out of the EU now! (…) Our call for a leave vote in the 2016 referendum explained: “Amid the growing chaos besetting the EU, a British exit would deal a real blow to this imperialist-dominated conglomerate, further destabilisiung it and creating more favourable conditions for working-class struggle across Europe — including against a weakened and discredited Tory government in Britain.”
So worse is best. But is it?
We still don’t know at the moment whether or not Euroelections will take place in Britain on 23 May. That depends, apparently, on whether the government and the Labour Party can agree on the future trading arrangements of UK plc outside the EU. An opinion poll has suggested that a quarter of electors have decided to boycott them. Which quarter would that be? As more than 60% of electors have boycotted these elections in the past. In fact a quarter boycott even general elections.
If they do take place they will inevitably be a proxy referendum, with the leaders of both the Leave and Remain camps setting out to attract voters. Most pundits expect Farage’s Brexit Party to win, with Tommy Robinson going to Brussels too. Farage’s party can be expected to do well, but at the expense of the Tories. (which is why they are so against them). Labour can be expected to be squeezed too, with many Remainers showing their support for this by voting for unambiguous Remain parties such as the LibDems, the Greens, the Nationalists and even perhaps Chukky Ubama’s “Independents”. If it is a proxy referendum there could well be a higher turnout.
In any event, if these elections do take place, the Socialist Party will be taking part as, on Saturday, our Executive Committee gave the go-ahead for preparations to contest the South East and Wales regions (as we did the last time in 2014).
“We still don’t know at the moment whether or not Euroelections will take place in Britain on 23 May. That depends, apparently, on whether the government and the Labour Party can agree on the future trading arrangements of UK plc outside the EU.”
More likely than ever now that extension of Brexit until Halloween (31 October) has been offered by the 27.
More likely, yes, but still not definite. May’s plan seems to be to reach a deal in the next few weeks and certainly before 22 May and then cancel the elections.
The countdown to the elections has already begun, with the Notice of Poll being published on Monday and nominations closing on Thursday 25 April and voting on 23 May (in fact postal voting even before that). So all parties, including us, will have to get their lists in by then. But what happens if the elections are cancelled half way through? Presumably all the parties will get their deposits back, but what about the money spent on leaflets?
Neither the Tories nor Labour want to take part in these elections, especially not the Tories who know they are going to be decimated. Perhaps this will be an incentive for them to come to some agreement on the UK capitalist class’s trading arrangements and jointly push a deal through. Then there’d be no Euroelections..
On the other hand, a delay till the end of October also allows time for a general election and/or a referendum, an incentive for those MPs who favour one or the other an incentive to prevent an early deal.
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