With the Conservative brand of all over Brexit; why are we pointing at Corbyn?
As another catastrophic week in parliament draws to a close, the future of British politics looks dim. We have an embattled prime minister in Theresa May, who has doggedly fought for her deal to be approved by the House of Commons, but has now has failed to do so twice in two humiliating defeats. We have seen factions arise and wars of words exchanged in our governing party, with hard Brexiteers in Jacob Rees-Mogg and Remain-voting soft Brexit-swaying frontbenchers in Amber Rudd. May is being pulled from pillar to post to propose a deal that would bring a consensus to parliamentarians, but this seems like an impossible task.
Whilst the warring and moribund Conservative party continues to unravel, the relentless media have chosen to to thrust Jeremy Corbyn and his Labour party into the spotlight an equal amount of times. One commentator for the Spectator indulged a conservative media with “The Corbyn crack-up” as his op-ed title. Meanwhile, popular newspaper the Daily Mail has continued to espouse hatred and vilification on the Labour party, which can only be in effort to deflect from the calamitous government they have fought so hard to align with. I struggle to fathom the sheer obsession with demonising Corbyn’s leadership when he is not the one leading the country off the cliff with Brexit.
What else can we expect from a party in opposition? Corbyn has provided an alternative deal over Brexit, although still controversial amongst hardcore Leavers, in a quest to display consistency. Moreover, he has vowed to mobilise a People’s Vote if a general election or extension of Article 50 is not called. We must not forget the Labour leader has to walk on eggshells with Brexit in an attempt not to alienate his divided party.
Corbyn is popular in the industrial heartlands of the North of England to the millennial bohemian districts of London. The north voted overwhelmingly to leave the EU in 2016, whilst the London boroughs did the exact opposite. Whatever Corbyn stands for, disregarding his past record as a Eurosceptic, would only bring more fire and fury for a leader already loathed by the mainstream press. His ambition of socialism does not bode well with the looming authority of the EU. But he does realise the opportunity and transparency that coincides with maintaining membership as an EU state.
I believe vociferously in a People’s Vote. The Leave campaign in the referendum duped the country into believing we would be more affluent without the EU. This was a blatant lie. The Brexit we knew 3 years ago was not the Brexit we know now. Therefore, bringing the vote back to the people in solidarity with democracy would be the only way to end the impasse. Corbyn’s reluctance to throw his wholehearted support behind a People’s Vote I understand immensely. I do not envy a Leader of the Opposition who could lose the backing of a vast array of his party members whatever he decides. Furthermore, I do not envy a leader who grapples with intense pressure from his aides and backbenchers as well as a brutal media.
Deflection is an easy way to avoid dangerous territory. When the Tories are at loggerheads, what is a conservative sympathising media to do than attack their opponents. A deflect strategy brought Trump to the White House in 2016. Instead of outlining policy the Trump campaign shamelessly attacked a qualified and respected politician in Hillary Clinton. The UK voter must not be sucked into the media’s endemic assault on Corbyn and his cronies. If you really want to know what’s going on with Brexit, look no further than our current government.
