In July, the SKWAWKBOX predicted that centrists were lining up behind the idea of a ‘government of national unity’ in a desperate attempt to prevent a Corbyn-led Labour government.
The very next day, deputy Labour leader and so-called ‘moderate’ Tom Watson told a bemused television interviewer that he considered it Labour’s job to prevent the Tory government from ‘bringing itself down’:
Developing circumstances – and a swelling outrage among Labour members – put that plan onto the back burner.
But it didn’t go away – and sure enough, with May’s government looking in the most serious danger yet as even her own MPs call for her to step down and a ‘no deal’ Brexit looming, centrists in both parties have resurrected the idea:
The significance of this is obvious – self-mutilation by the Labour right in order to damage the party, because so-called ‘moderates’ would prefer to inflict more suffering and death on the vulnerable under Tory government than see their bearded nemesis as PM.
Combined with a clearly coordinated effort to push a second referendum instead of a general election – supposedly Labour MPs even calling a general election ‘shtick’ and dismissing a change of government as unimportant compared to stopping Brexit – the real aims, loyalties and motives of laughably-termed ‘centrists’ couldn’t be more transparent.
This Twitter user got it exactly right – and nailed those motives in the process:
SKWAWKBOX comment:
The SKWAWKBOX needs your support. This blog is provided free of charge but depends on the generosity of its readers to be viable. If you can afford to, please click here to arrange a one-off or modest monthly donation via PayPal. Thanks for your solidarity so this blog can keep bringing you information the Establishment would prefer you not to know about.
If you wish to reblog this post for non-commercial use, you are welcome to do so – see here for more.
a ‘Government of National Unity’ is about as stupid an idea as ideas get.
… because, beyond the obvious fact of the stupidity of Brexit … which, in two years has failed to make a rational case … the one thing that has been done is to divide the nation in a way that simplistic ideas of ‘unity’ cannot bridge.
Much better to have a Labour government working on the basis that there was only ever a third of the nation in favour of this Murdoch et al. cunning wheeze, and that even in simple majoritarian terms, the position is now different – thus leading to the blindingly obvious conclusion that we need to stay in – or as near as the damage done will allow.
The mistake for a Corbyn-led party would be to concede the ‘Remain’ high ground to the right.
God, I’m sick of remain fanatics saying only a third of people voted for leave. In that case, less than a third voted to stay. Their is no “remain high ground”, only your opinion which Corbyn, as pm, can’t bow to.
It appears that the majority of Labour voters would like a vote on the actual deal.
https://d25d2506sfb94s.cloudfront.net/cumulus_uploads/document/zyn6cwnsqt/PeoplesVote_waves1,2,3_Merge_w.pdf
“God, I’m sick of remain fanatics saying only a third of people voted for leave”
Yes – I know – appealing to an imaginary fairy is a natural response to a statement of reality – a simple fact.
Anyone who can’t see the folly of resolving a major constitutional issue by a minority vote isn’t really in touch with the actuality and recent history. Dream on, but don’t involve we pragmatists (not ‘fanatics’) in your nightmares – the substance of which we see clearly today.
Idiotic to say “obvious stupidity of Brexit”. Staying in the EU means it would be unlawful for a Labour government to extend public ownership to essential public services. The only thing “obvious” is your love affair with capitalism.
Quite right Danny…
I’m sure the swivel-eyed Tories will agree with you. 🙂
No they won’t – they are against re-nationalisation. They are happy with article 106 in this respect.
Being out of the EU would make nationalisation and appropriation easier to do but there are many different ways to do it and many nationalised enterprises in the EU.
That’s because the industries in question were never privatised. Whilst the EU encourages privatisation of public assets, ie expressly forbids re-nationalisation of privatised assets. Looks like SNCF will be next to go as Macron, France’s Mrs Thatcher, is privatising it!
Could do with one of Labour/Momentum’s excellent videos right now to draw attention away from JRM and the resignations outlining how we will make things better. Don McJonnell tweeting about going to Mansfield is the sort of front foot shot I like to see
tory unity no thanks, had enough of those strong and stable parrot squawking egoistic maniacs, would rather have a shipload of bhs mannequins than this unfit crowd and there backing bands
Surely Labour MPs who supported a cross party administration would according to Labour’s rule book be resigning from the Labour Party. They could not support both the aims and objectives of the Labour Party as well as some sort of centrist alliance with the Tories.
By the time they resign or are finally expelled, the damage would be done. The Blairites still control the PLP and that is where the action is, in Parliament.
The question of a General Strike is one that has to be considered: a General Strike until there is a General Election.
In the meantime Labour needs to act quickly to ensure that the next PLP reflects the wishes of the voters not the desires of Mandelson, Blair and-Tom Watson’s sponsor, Max Mosley
Theresa May to hold press conference at 5pm
Is she going to resign?
http://www.reactiongifs.com/r/hhn.gif
https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/11/svg/1f642.svg
Theresa May to hold press conference at 5pm
Is she going to resign?
C’mon, Terry Fuckwit, do it do it do it!!!
Yes! A gov’t of National Unity!………..with Jeremy Corbyn as Prime Minister & a ‘Socialist Manifesto’.
Watso, Umunna, Kinnock, Phillips etc, would rather stick needles in their neoliberal eyes than see Corbyn as prime minister. As for a Socialist manifesto, to them it’s just a word on the membership card that they despise.
………..& Clause 4 back on membership card.
“Serving in high office is an honour and a privilege”
Definitely the beginning of a resignation speech 🙂
D’oh 🙁
Unfortunately not.
All we got was a pack of lies that completely ignored the backstop.
TM did say one puzzling thing though “when we come back with the final deal from Brussels”
Just to put the whole debacle in perspective – and indicate the way forward for a Labour government, the latest poll suggests 54% in favour of remaining in the EU. (Half the population ‘fanatics’???)
If the perspective is government by YouGov poll you might as well dispense with the population altogether. To put the whole thing in perspective today, for instance, you need yet again have to look at Corby’s Twitter or Facebook to find that he still exists. Today of all days, and even after his crushing concision that silenced the House at PMQ, nary a report on his analysis and summary;not even today, of all days.
Beyond a joke long ago. To hell with “oh look where the polls are now” stuff. That’s part of the garbage. Of course there are good reasons can be argued for remain. And better reasons to proceed with Brexit on the detailed though never reported parameters Corbyn has consistently adumbrated. And of course some though not all of the Remainers are part of the Stop Corbyn force forming the other wing to the “Anti-Semitism” baloney.
Like
The only fanatics are those who want the price of their buy to let to rise in perpetuity, those with French, Spanish and Greek retirement homes, and those who choose to believe a maximum 8% short term hit is the end of the world. Not to mention, an EU army, the collapse of the Euro and federalism forcing us out in the future. Or fixed budgets forcing most EU countries to accept perpetual austerity, high unemployment and selling/outsourcing everything. No thanks.
“Not to mention, an EU army, …”
It’s not an EU army it’s an integrated EU military structure including budget, all forces and procurement under the control of EU. UK is deeply involved although it hasn’t signed on the PESCO dotted line.
Some believe it is an essential step to back up the Euro/ECB and crucial to a fully federalised EU. A state/federation needs its own military under its control.
Or it could be that they don’t trust Trump to fulfill his NATO obligations, and who could blame them.
No, RH, that may, or may not be, half the population, maybe a fairy, or a monkey sitting on your shoulder, whispered that to you that it was.
If I’d been asked (which, unaccountably, I wasn’t) I’d have made 66% in favour the requirement for such a far-reaching change as Brexit.
Given where we are now I’d have to argue that in any fresh referendum 66% should be required to reverse Brexit, despite that narrow win.
If remain were to win such a majority Brexit supporters would at least have to concede that they hadn’t been cheated.
Like
Excellent idea!
That might be the only way to avert serious disorder on the streets (not that that doesn’t sound well overdue!).
May press conference damp squid, was hoping for GE. If a Govt of National Unity appears (a Govt of Neo-Liberal Capitalism) then any Blairite Labour MP who supports May should perhaps leave Labour?
Perhaps is a battle going on in the Tories between Neo-Liberal nationalists and a smaller group of Neo-Liberal City of London Finance Capitalist Globalists?
Perhaps Labour should argue for the democratic control of labour and capital supply (as before Neo-Liberalism) as well as having compassion for refugees.
Many seem to have fallen for the myth that we can only build international solidarity via the structure (now Neo-Liberal) of the EC when we can build our own links built on our left wing democratic socialist principles.
Bazza, links to our fellow socialists abroad are great to exchange ideas but I don’t think they actually help us to win votes, do they?
On the contrary any criticism of one socialist state can and will be used against all others by each state’s MSM, as ours have tried to blame Corbyn for every evil in history.
The rich have enjoyed the total international solidarity of capitalism for so many generations they imagine privilege is and will always be theirs as of right.
Luckily for us the technology which progressively replaces us in the workplace will become smart enough to make entrepreneurs redundant too.
By then the historically-accepted justification for their riches – wealth creation – will have become glaringly unsustainable.
Socialism brought to you by technological innovation 🙂
The 1% will presumably attempt to protect themselves by paying huge sums to private armies but soldiers have families as well as guns.
Whether we win socialism by negotiation or in conflict the rich folk’s days hogging the sunbeds are numbered I think.
Here I go again – like as in I like the response by Tom Older