Tom Watson has called for Labour to back Remain unequivocally in their election campaign. I think he's right.
If Labour continue to look like the dithering party then they will simply lose more votes. I am not sure that the public want another referendum now. I think the moment has passed. A party offering a clear Remain message against a clear "Out" party would be enough of a referendum. And I suspect that many voters would respect Labour for coming out with a clear message. Sure they might lose votes in "remain" heartlands but these would be nothing to the votes they would gain from those who did not want a Johnston led government and years of wrangling about "leave" deals, which a Labour insistence on leaving with a deal would inevitably bring on. Of course it would be a risk, and if Labour didn't win the election pundits will argue for years to come about whether it was because they backed Remain or whether it was because Corbyn just didn't have what it takes to persuade the public that he'd be a good leader for the country.
I believe what will actually happen is that Labour will go into an election offering a referendum based on the choices of "Leave but only with a deal", "Leave whatever" and "Remain". I do not think this will be enough to sway the public to vote for them in large enough numbers to command a majority in the next parliament and I fear some kind of Tory hard line machine, since all the rebels look like they have been deselected and quite a few of them ain't going to stand for election again anyway.
Of course all this may well be academic if Johnston manages the sleight of hand I posited in my last blog. And whatever happens in the next short while with regard to this vexed question of Parliament sitting or not, I believe in my heart of hearts that Johnston will weasel us out. O please, let me be wrong.
If Labour continue to look like the dithering party then they will simply lose more votes. I am not sure that the public want another referendum now. I think the moment has passed. A party offering a clear Remain message against a clear "Out" party would be enough of a referendum. And I suspect that many voters would respect Labour for coming out with a clear message. Sure they might lose votes in "remain" heartlands but these would be nothing to the votes they would gain from those who did not want a Johnston led government and years of wrangling about "leave" deals, which a Labour insistence on leaving with a deal would inevitably bring on. Of course it would be a risk, and if Labour didn't win the election pundits will argue for years to come about whether it was because they backed Remain or whether it was because Corbyn just didn't have what it takes to persuade the public that he'd be a good leader for the country.
I believe what will actually happen is that Labour will go into an election offering a referendum based on the choices of "Leave but only with a deal", "Leave whatever" and "Remain". I do not think this will be enough to sway the public to vote for them in large enough numbers to command a majority in the next parliament and I fear some kind of Tory hard line machine, since all the rebels look like they have been deselected and quite a few of them ain't going to stand for election again anyway.
Of course all this may well be academic if Johnston manages the sleight of hand I posited in my last blog. And whatever happens in the next short while with regard to this vexed question of Parliament sitting or not, I believe in my heart of hearts that Johnston will weasel us out. O please, let me be wrong.
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