What we must not forget, ever, is that whichever way people voted in the EU referendum, whatever people want to happen now, there is absolutely one thing we can all unite on: Brexit, like almost everything else these days, is a symptom, not the main cause of the plentiful issues we face.
All roads of blame lead back to the CONservative party.
The anger, fear, false-flag ‘patriotism’ etc all comes from a failed economic system-Neo Liberal Capitalism. Whether you believe that comes from the EU or from government or both, it is something that the Tories absolutely 100% pray to-it is their religion. Their obsession. To the point now when you have the Bank Of England, IMF etc, saying how the system they benefit so much from, is broken. Totally & utterly broken. Though this is not even the worst part-this CONservative government does not have a plan or alternative. Nothing. So they continue to say “It’s the messaging that is wrong, not the system”. They are both deluded and scared. Scared as demonstrably they do not have the answers or even the germ of an idea on how things can change.
Austerity: Whether you are on the left or right (or centre) of politics, or have no idea what those terms mean (you are not stupid-politics is made deliberately boring & complicated so we don’t know!), the general consensus is now that Austerity is a terrible thing. Philip Hammond, the Treasurer, has recently confirmed what we all should by now know-that Austerity is a choice, not a necessity. Take a minute to think about that, please. Putting all compassion & ethics to one side, Austerity is economically stupid; it doesn’t work, and never has. Anywhere. Including now-demonstrably. Labour under Jeremy Corbyn is, and always has been, passionately anti-Austerity. The Tories have absolutely not ended Austerity. There are far more cuts to come. When, as they have confirmed themselves, there doesn’t have to be (i.e. If we needed billions to go to war tomorrow, it would be there). We, as Labour, were saying these things and being mocked; now nearly everyone accepts Austerity is both economically incompetent & morally outrageous.
Whichever way you voted in the EU referendum, did you vote for the mess we have now? Where nobody is happy? Did you expect that just weeks before we leave, the government cannot even agree in Cabinet, never mind their party, never mind Parliament & us voters!, on what the deal is or should be???!!! David Cameron had the EU referendum for entirely selfish, purely CONservative party-related issues. Because Europe has torn the Tory party apart for decades. He has, whichever way you voted, made things much worse. The country is more divided than it has ever been. People are angrier, more abusive and more violent than at any time in my life. Are we going to trust this bunch of cretins to be the ones trying to stitch the country back together, whatever happens?! No!!! Please, No!!! It would be sovereign suicide to have the CONservatives in power when trying to unite us-May hasn’t even reached across the Parliament benches, how on earth could she unite the country?!
I do not pretend that the task of negotiating Brexit would be any easier for Labour. This is because it is impossible to have a ‘good outcome’ as what that means is radically different for different people. What I do know for sure, is that Corbyn & Labour would be better – Corbyn is a consensus politician. As he has shown to both the delight & frustration of Labour members. Just because it would be very difficult, and it would, does not mean Labour would not do a better job. Labour is far, far more united on the key issues. Plus, a post-whatever-happens Britain needs repairing. It does not need Tories scapegoating the foreigners, the migrants, the ill, the disabled, the unemployed. This will only play into the hands of the far right and cause us to be even more fragmented and divided. That cannot and must not happen. Again, this would be sovereign suicide!
Thanks to our mainstream media & the CONservative party building a foundation based on decades of outright lies, hate and, yes, on occasion, fascism, being pumped into our ears, eyes and homes, minute after minute, hour after hour, day after day etc…blaming migrants, the poor, the disabled, the unemployed, the non-Christians etc…we are where we are. This is us all having to reap what diabolical, soulless people have sewn. This space created has been filled by the far right who are rapidly on the rise. We know that several potential Tory replacements for Theresa May have actively connected themselves with the far, extreme right. They sought it out, and sought out the money & support from them. They have mainstreamed what used to be fringe. Because they cannot win the political arguments. They desperately want to cling to power: yes, even if that means endorsing fascists. Again, please take a moment to take this in. What is really sad, is this has been helped by the so-called ‘Liberal Elite’. The people who call themselves ‘centrists’- the Westminster/media bubble-those who think they are right about everything & that everyone who supports Brexit, or especially Corbyn, is stupid and racist.
Their arrogance, even now, is truly astonishing. They irrationally (of course constructive criticism & holding leaders to account is very healthy in a democracy) criticise Jeremy Corbyn daily; the one man who is their ONLY option to stop the rise of the far right. The man correct about all the things they have been consistently wrong about. I once thought they could be talked-around. I now truly fear this is not possible because of their total lack of ability to self-criticise, acknowledge their role in all this, to even listen. They are, perhaps, as dangerous as those they think they are so intellectually above. They have become the very thing they claim to rail against. We will, unfortunately, have to save them from themselves. They are incapable of moving on from 1997, and they do not have red lines re what they will do to get their way-a small, minority position. In other words, they increase the likeliness of the CONservatives staying in power.
This would obviously be disastrous. Again, I ask people to think carefully. Since they came to power in 2010, the Tories have taken us from 41,000-odd uses of foodbanks to now over 4 million people. Most people in poverty are in work. Record homelessness. Record poverty & child poverty. Life expectancy going into reverse for the first time. Record insecure employment. By their own figures, we have a second unprecedented decade of stagnating/receding wages to come, with people on less (not pro-rata) in the mid 2020s than they were in 2007! Clothes banks. The Tories have missed every single one of their own fiscal targets. They have borrowed more money in 8 years than every Labour government in history. Combined.Borrowing isn’t the issue, but borrowing and implemnting Austerity and having these horrific statistics and the slowest growing economy in the G7. The list goes on…
So, Brexit or no Brexit, whichever way you vote, we can clearly see that all roads for concerns lead back to the CONservatives. They have lost the economic, political & social arguments. What we must make sure is that we don’t lose any more from this dangerously incompetent, consciously cruel bunch of charlatans. They must be removed ASAP, and they must never be allowed to forget what they have done to this country; how they have dismantled it and must be stopped from totally destroying the very fabric of our society & communities. While all roads lead back to the Tories, the only exist from this is their removal from power before future generations never let us forget that we let these dangerous CONservatives do it to us. No more.
In Solidarity, Adam Samuels – Clwyd South Labour Party Media & Communications Coordinator
