Brexit Fallout: Working Together is the Only Show in Town
LOCAL PARTY MEMBER AND WEBSITE EDITOR, Steven Wilkinson, shares his personal thoughts on the political turmoil that has swept through the nation and devastated the main political parties in the aftermath of the vote to leave the European Union. On Wednesday 6th July there will be a Branch Meeting to discuss these events.
AFTER A WEEK when nearly half of the nation must have felt like it had been signed up to a mass suicide cult by having the Brexit pill forced upon the 48% who voted to remain, you would have imagined that was it – well at least for the time being. That was not to be.
Len MCCluskey, UNITE Leader, Calls for Party Unity
The political earthquake, known as Brexit, swept like a whirlwind through the main political Parties and has led to an outbreak of political suicides and further instability and conflict in the economy and society as a whole. This highlighted by a spate of high-profile political resignations and a staggering rise in hate crime.
Immediately following the announcement of the referendum, the Tory Party leader David Cameron joined the pact and committed political harikari. The government and country was thrown into a state of complete disarray. The lack of a Brexit plan also led to heightened tensions in the Tory Party and the population – pro and anti alike. Cameron’s resignation sparked one of the most extraordinary Tory leadership contests imaginable. Naked ambition underlying the leave campaign broke free when Gove knifed fellow Brexiteer – and leadership hopeful – Boris in a flagrant act of treachery. The Boris Leadership campaign is now toast. Yet still no agreed Brexit plan on offer. Uncertainty prevails.
Meanwhile, as the Labour Leadership was preparing to take a lead on Brexit, the Parliamentary Party (PLP) joined the fray and popped their pills. The majority of the PLP set out to unseat Jeremy Corbyn by collectively entering into a suicide pact and resigned in their droves. It would appear these MPs may have now bottled it in what is coming to be known as the #chickencoup.
Ar first, the PLPs actions may have seemed unstoppable. But, as we know, a week is a long time in politics. In this instance, 24 hrs are long enough for the mood to change and for Corbyn’s wide base of support in the membership to make itself felt. The Labour Party is still reeling from the fallout of the #chickencoup that has brought the Party into a state of turmoil not seen since the early 1980s, when the ‘Gang of 4’ split from Labour to form the SDP.
Fortunately, in the Labour Party we have a broad church of stakeholders. It is easy to forget our biggest backers are the unions. Yesterday, Len McCuskey, Unite General Secretary made a positive contribution in the leadership debate asking the PLP to step back from the precipice and reach an agreement to prevent the party damaging itself any further.
This is an evolving situation and we do not know what the outcome will be. What we do know, as party members, is we all have opinions and views on what’s happening and need to listen to each other.
There are millions of people out there who will be even more in need of an alternative to austerity and we need to get our act together pretty dam quick before the Tories lay down a Brexit plan based around further deregulation and free-market economics. Unity means debating and understanding the issues that face us and putting in the hard work to convince the public of our merits as a future government – whoever is our leader.
We should remain loyal to our cause, constituency and their interests in this David and Goliath struggle to mediate the excesses of capitalism whilst seeking to create a real alternative vision to a world driven for profit and not people.
The PLP may be coming to the realisation that fighting each other will not benefit anyone except our enemies. Roll on the debate and please stop the infighting (in public at least). Stand up for what YOU believe in and get involved in your local Party making your voice heard at this crucial point in our history. United we stand – divided we fall.
Steven Wilkinson is a Local Labour Party Member and edits this blog
Tamar Valley Labour Party encourages members and supporters to write to us with their contributions for publication on this blog.
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