UK and Europe World • Page 34

But yeah fuck Gove

 

Old Corbyn tweets are great

 

What does this mean for the Brexit negotiations? If the government doesn't have a confirmed majority, do they still go ahead or... ? Article 50 was triggered months ago so the clock is ticking. It's a total shambles.

 

"The centrist political pundits, whose lack of insight has been so starkly exposed by this General Election, are an adjunct to this grouping. They operate within the same social circles and have formed a symbiotic relationship with this group and the broader professional political classes - exchanging ideas and trading legitimacy. In doing so, they mistook a strategic adaptation to the balance of forces in the political field in a particular moment, for a timeless formula for left-wing politics, and an acquaintance with this strategy, and its strategists, for political insight. This is why their response to Corbynism has been such a curious mix of belligerence and condescension. Its radicalism threatens not only the political status quo, but the purveyors of political wisdom who have built their reputation around it."


It Was a Fantasy: Centrist Political Commentators in the Age of Corbynism




"Corbynism will face serious battles, including within its own party. But it is now beyond doubt that it will face them, rather than being effaced itself by its Labour enemies: it has the agenda for the foreseeable future, and the importance of that, and the possibilities for the radical left that opens up, can hardly be overstressed."

Absolute: On the British General Election | Salvage

 

More than 150,000 people have joined Labour since the election

 

Our country is such a shit show right now. The Conservatives would rather hold onto power than give the country what they so clearly want in the wake of probably the biggest change in the way our country can sustain itself in the form of Brexit. Christ, just give us an election, get out of there and respect democracy.

 

I think an issue such as Brexit should automatically be considered something that has to be dealt with and negotiated cross party. I wouldn't trust either of the main parties to get it right on their own, especially when one of them is led by Theresa May.

 

You guys think it could end up being a positive that labour didn't win an outright majority or even enough to form a coalition? This way, when some shit inevitably goes wrong with Brexit, Tories get blamed, and since it seems like there'll be an election pretty soon, Tories won't be able to do much else of their awful shit before Labour has a chance to win again and maybe even win bigger than they ever could've in this election, even best case.

 

I think the momentum (no pun intended) is definitely with Labour. The latest polling shows that Labour are ahead of the Tories by 6%:

 

The comments on this tweet are so cutting, dare I say it's British humour at its finest.

 

This. This. This. This. All day THIS!

Why are politicians not humble enough to realise this? This is the biggest thing to happen to the country since WW2. Get it right by listening to each other and finding a consensus together.

 

They managed to work on the same platform for campaigning with the referendum, would make sense they could negotiate together too. It's pure hubris on the Tories part that they aren't bringing in Labour to the negotiations, nothing more.

 

One more bit of gloating:

 

I really hope Yvette Cooper doesn't get a position in the shadow cabinet reshuffle tomorrow.

 

Why is there need for a reshuffle? The cabinet he has had is strong and helped him do what he did last week. He needs more people like John McDonnell. That fucking guy is awesome.

 

I actually disagree with this Tweet. I've said it before but I would love to see party politics put aside and a broad cross party approach taken to the negotiations. It's such a significant moment in UK history - I think having key people from across the political spectrum would put us on a better footing. I didn't vote for Brexit by the way but if that's the way we're going, I'd much rather everyone came together with a bit of humility and see what they can do that works for everyone. It would take a great deal of humility though so I'm not holding my breath.

And I guess if the Conservatives do decide to persist with "their Brexit" as they've been saying ("nothing has changed" etc.) then the other parties can definitely use that to their advantage in the future. But I think there could be better way.

 

Why do you think the Conservatives will have any interest in doing something "that works for everyone"? They've imposed years of harsh austerity and driven millions to food banks, all while giving huge tax cuts to the rich. The Conservatives are the parliamentary wing of the wealthy elite, they don't care about anyone else. I don't want them to have any part in negotiating our future. I want the negotiations to be led by Jeremy Corbyn because his track record suggests that he genuinely does care about people and will therefore attempt to get the best deal for everyone, and not just big business/the wealthy.

 

The problem is that the 'progressives' didn't do a good enough job last week to keep the Conservatives out of power so therefore they're sadly going to be involved. I would rather they had nothing to do with it but that is not the reality we face at the moment - 43% of people who voted voted for one of their candidates. So yes, whilst I agree that they are self-seeking and interested in the rights of the wealthy, at the moment it looks like only they'll be involved with the DUP propping them up.

With pressure from Davidson in Scotland and other key Tories speaking up there's a faint and maybe improbable chance of this cross-party selection... I'd take that over May and co stubbornly saying the plans haven't changed and driving us to the 'Hard Brexit' that takes us out of everything...

Maybe I am naive but I think people working together would be better. The Conservatives would be held in check by the diverse voices at the table. We wouldn't end up with a 'Hard Brexit' tax haven shaped in the image of the rich but a different kind of Brexit where we negotiate as a united front.

I definitely respect what you're saying, I just think with the negotiations about to begin and the Conservatives keeping May to avoid another election, this looks like a welcome option.

 

That was the point of the initial tweet I posted- if the Conservatives can't get their arrangement with the DUP to work, and they therefore can't negotiate Brexit, then they should call an election. I really like how these figures align with each other: