Friday 17 May 2019

Jeremy Corbyn makes totally predictable decision

The talks on Brexit between the Theresa May government and Labour were always going to fail. Labour under Jeremy Corbyn has taken three years to develop its Brexit strategy and what it came up with was never going to blend in with May's deal with Brussels. She knew from the beginning of this whole process that she needed to find a formula that would keep the Leave members of her party happy. Even though she was and is a Remainer and probably wishes the whole thing will just go away so that we can stay in the EU, she has been committed as prime minister to fulfilling the wishes of the majority in the country who voted OUT. The mandate from the 2016 referendum did not include a clause which said a deal could include staying in the EU customs union or single market. So when Corbyn said he wouldn't suport her Brexit deal unless there was an agreement to remain in a full customs union, Theresa May was stuck. There were various alternatives proposed, such as having a temporary customs union but that was all a waste of time. Corbyn's new stance was customs union or nothing. In the previous three years in which Labour was not consulted by the May government and Corbyn's stand seemed all wishy-washy, neither one thing nor the other, there had been no adamant statement from the Oppostion that a customs union was the top priority. I think Corbyn and his mates held back on it until the last moment just in order to screw over Theresa May, knowing that the Downing Street consultations would collapse. Theresa May would be blamed and Labour would look good. That was clearly his thinking. So now poor Theresa has few options left. She will have to hope that the House of Commons agrees by a majority to allow her government to introduce the necessary bill for withdrawing from the EU. If that too fails, then there will be nothing left for her but to step down and allow the hordes of would-be prime ministerial candidates to fight for her job. But, honestly, will it make any difference in the great Brexit saga if the new prime minister is Boris Johnson or Jeremy Hunt or Michael Gove? I don't see it. Why would the EU suddenly become more conciliatory if Theresa May was forced out? And why would the House of Commons go all soft and malleable under a different Conservative leader? Again, I don't see this happening.

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