for lefties too stubborn to quit
Opinium had a poll in yesterday’s Observer suggesting that so far there’s no retreat from the election result. Tories on 47%, Labour on 30%, LDs on 9%, Brexit on 3% (how on earth will they keep any MEPs?) and GP on 4%. So that’s a slight increase for the Tories on the General Election and a slight fall back for the LP and the LDs. Perhaps inevitable, but also depressing.
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The Cedar Lounge Revolution
I had a discussion over the weekend with a friend in Ireland, who lived here (England) for quite a while and who was saying how relieved she was to be out of it. I responded with the observation that, even among left, remain voters, there was a palpable sense of relief that it had been settled and a feeling that maybe we would ‘move on’. She said that it was wrong to settle for this, and people here needed to continue fighting….
I’ve begun to think that a) the post election remain campaign (PV etc.) was as disatrous as the pre-election one and did nothing to attempt to persuade: and b) that the return of the UK to the EU is probably as unlikely and distant as a united Ireland was in 1922, while equally appearing tantalisingly close. The die is cast and the UK will move further away from Europe, not closer. In this scenario, fighting battles that will increasing appear as old, is not the way for the left to go.
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My feeling is that a close relationship perhaps w reengagement with the single market / customs union in a decade or so is the best that can be hoped for for the medium to long term. But you’re right, things have moved on and rejoining the EU or even EEA is very distant. Which might make life easier for the left having a friendly but not rejoin stance to the EU for the meanwhile. Thought John McDonnell had broadly the right tone in response to Javids nonsense over alignment with EU standards this last week. No hint of rejoin just basic practicalities and how they impact on workers. Agreed too, PV was a non starter from the get go.
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Agreed. Remain / referendum (us) lost politically, despite winning the popular vote. There’ll be no going back for a generation.
In all probability as a consequence the UK will become a hyper-neoliberal and culturally nationalist client of the US.
The question for us in Ireland and the rest of the EU is how do we live with this kind of neighbour. And how to we collaborate with Scotland, and the fallout of Brexit in the North of Ireland.
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Those are excellent points , not least because we are so closely linked to the North
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All of the above. The “PV” nonsense was exactly the kind of condescending liberal elitism that Brexiteers could point at as the kind of thing they were against, and it was run by people with no politics and no political nous (general strike, really?).
The house journal, The New European, is now offering a “Bollocks to Brexit” purple passport holder when you take out a subscription.
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I certainly don’t want to waste any more time on Brexit until the time for the second round of transition extensions arrives at the end of this year.
Only at that point may it become clearer what it means for the North.
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sorry “‘post’ and ‘pre-‘ referendum'”
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