The Corbyn ambiguity on Brexit
Our current inept government has faced increased hostility internally and through the mainstream media. Their incompetence in grappling with the arduous and time-consuming Brexit has left Theresa May’s political prowess weaker than before. The issue of Brexit poses an existential threat to our country. With Remainers vouching for a second referendum and Ress-Moggites pleading for a hard Brexit, the Cabinet have their work cut out.
With sheer humiliation seeping out of May’s ministry, the country are looking towards the opposition for an almighty alternative. In a most recent poll, Jeremy Corbyn was succeeding May by 1% as the Brexit convulsions continued. However, a stable 44% said “neither” as their preferable candidates for the premiership. Labour’s equivocal policy towards Brexit and other issues has been widely criticised . But what else can do Corbyn do when his hands are tied by his own electorate?
The 2017 snap election saw Labour receive the biggest voter share since the 1945 postwar election. May’s lacklustre governance and her inability to handle her Cabinet members saw her Commons majority tumble. Corbyn won seats in the left-wing heartlands of London and also in fervent Leave constituencies of the North. If anything, this reveals the country’s attitudes towards our current inauthentic government. Vociferous Brexit-backers voted for Corbyn in a desperate attempt to topple May’s Brexit negotiations. They would rather vote for a party who has shaky stance on Brexit than proceed with this calamitous exit.
Putting Labour and socialism on the map as a firm contender was a momentous victory for Corbyn and his devotees. However, it meant their vagueness towards the Brexit issue continued so to avoid marginalising certain constituents. When Corbyn announced a soft Brexit, which he did initially, by staying in the customs union and single market, he angered an already frustrated base. Members of the Brexit-backing and Labour-held St Helen’s North seat in Merseyside called Corbyn’s soft approach as “shifty” and “a con”. No wonder the Labour leader, intent on becoming the next prime minister, has now chosen to say nothing at all whilst the Tories falter.
Whatever the Labour leader has said, or not said, about Brexit has sparked outrage and scrutiny. If he wants to avoid attacks on his leadership, a pragmatic consensus to appeal to all is vital. In 1945, Clement Attlee did just that by devising a postwar consensus to help reshape a country in disarray. With political battlegrounds being drawn and no-mans land in parliament widening, closing the gap to bring back cross-party discussions seems absurd. The ramifications of Brexit has seen divisions intensify. Aiming for a middle ground is challenging but critical.
Right now, Tory polls continue to diminish and Labour’s stay steady. If the public do not know Corbyn’s stance then they have little to critique. This is certainly the strategy Corbyn uses in his own indirect attempt to deprecate his opponents. His slogan, “for the many, not the few”, resonated through the political crisis rhetoric that entrenched the snap election. It galvanised voters, particularly amongst the younger demographic. However, this slogan is inane if Labour sit back and do little whilst the Conservatives pervasively attack certain groups. This is what’s happening throughout the Brexit malarkey. But it must come to an end.
