Mick Hall @ the Marxist blog, Organized Rage writes:

Brexit was a political earthquake, but the people have spoken and we need to get on with the job of leaving EU.


Emma Goldman a US Anarchist said in the early 20th century "if voting changed anything, they'd make it illegal:" they being the ruling class of her day. If we look at how the British ruling class have acted since Brexit won the EU referendum they seem to prove Emma's point, whether LP, Lib Dem, Ukip or Tory.

The result of the EU referendum was not what I would have liked as I voted remain, but life is only rarely plain sailing.

David Cameron will go down as the man who accelerated the breakup of the UK and will rank as one of the UK's worst PM's alongside Anthony Eden and Tony Blair. Arrogance and ignorance are unattractive traits in any human being but for a PM they become downright dangerous. By calling a referendum on Europe for party political reasons when he had no idea how the result would turn out, was reckless beyond all reason and the country is well rid of this class prejudiced and pompous man who has little or no empathy with the average Briton.

Scotland and the north of Ireland (NI) will now have a sound case to leave the UK after their peoples voted to stay in the EU in large numbers. In Scotland the margin between remain and leave was massive, with 62% for remain, 38% for leave. This particular genie is never going to be stuffed back in the bottle.

What of the victors? Farage, Gove, Duncan Smith, and the odious philanderer, Alexander 'Boris' Johnson, were struck speechless when the result was announced. It was as if they couldn't believe what they had done. Far from having a Plan B to be implemented on victory, something any good General would have in their knapsack, they struggled to tell the millions who have voted for Brexit what their next move would be.

Instead Farage, ever the showman paraded himself before the media with an ain't I great, I worked for 20 years to free you from the EU yoke.

Michael Gove was pitiful as John Grace wrote:
Gove looked like a man who had just come down from a bad trip to find he had murdered one of his friends.

As to Boris he hid from the media in one of his three homes for the whole night of the vote and much of the following day, only to emerge that afternoon with some hackneyed waffle aimed to gain the support of the under 25s, oblivious to the fact four out of five had voted to stay in the EU.

The Brexit campaign leaders wanted a bonfire of EU red tape, health and safety, employment protection, human rights and environmental legislation and for Britain to become an offshore tax haven for slicksters, oligarchs, banksters and hot money. While the majority who voted for them want a strong welfare state, well funded NHS, well paid jobs and no immigrants in the land. One doesn't have to be one of the experts Brexit decried during the campaign to see the major contradiction at the heart of these opposing views.

Is it any wonder not one had a plan, nor it seemed had any intention of demanding Cameron immediately started the process which will lead to the UK leaving the EU.

The people have voted and we are out. We must accept Brexit and make the best of it. There should be no talk of a second referendum nor legal sleight of hand politics and legalese to avoid the consequences of the first.

Its is the responsibility of the victors and the LP leadership to immediately force the government to pull the trigger on Article 50, officially notifying Brussel's of Britain's intention to leave the EU. Then there is a two-year period in which the terms of the leavers exit are negotiated. During this time Britain would no longer be able to take part in any EU decision-making, and any exit agreements must be approved by all 27 remaining EU nations and the European Parliament.

Then after Britain’s formal exit, fresh negotiations can begin on any new trade deals. During this period there will be great uncertainty, two years to actually leave, another five if we're lucky to renegotiate all the treaties that no longer apply to UK as a non member of the EU.

Instead of getting on with the job, leading pro-Brexit politicians back peddle with weasel words like there is no hurry. Within 24 hrs of their Brexit victory Nigel Farage distanced himself from the claim that £350m of EU contributions could instead be spent on the NHS. While the Tory MEP Daniel Hannan went further and admitted Brexit could result in similar levels of immigration to the UK. It's a great pity he lacked the courage to say this during the campaign.

Hannan told the Guardian:

Frankly, if people watching think that they have voted and there is now going to be zero immigration from the EU, they are going to be disappointed.


It's as if the Brexit leadership are hoping something will turn up, anything but Brexit. Not one, to use their stupid terminology, has even attempted to start “taking back control” they have not made any attempt to “get their country back.” What charlatans, what shysters, what gombeen men and women they are.

As to UKIP which helped achieve 72.3% of votes cast for Brexit in my home district of Thurrock, their MEP along with all other British representatives should resign from the EU parliament immediately as they will no longer be able to take part in the EU decision making process. To continue within this parliamentary forum, to draw their £5,200 plus expenses monthly salary, paid in Euros, when the rest of us are shut out the door and suffering due to the pound having crashed through the floor, would be immoral, but then again this is what these people do.

UKIP MEP's, and many Tories have long been feeding greedily on the EU gravy train while talking the European Union down.

As to the current shenanigans in the Labour Party which have erupted this weekend, I agree with Paul Mason when he wrote:

Under Corbyn, Labour has to become a party designed to deliver social justice outside the EU. It should, for the foreseeable future, abandon the objective of a return to EU membership.

Yet what do we see, the old Blairite pro-neoliberal rump of Labour MPs and fellow travellers attempting to overthrow Jeremy Corbyn as party leader, when less than a year ago he was elected by the membership in a landslide, winning a solid mandate from all three sections of the Party. If anyone believes these people could win back Labour support you need to look at how the vote went in most of their constituencies, especially in the north. Not one of them managed to convince their own supporters to remain, And why would they when most were parachuted into safe seats during the Blair, Brown years?

What Rudyard Kipling said of the demagogues of his age, also applies to Michael Gove, Alexander 'Boris', Johnson, Nigel Farage, Duncan Smith, Hilary Benn and Margaret Hodge:

I could not dig; I dared not rob: Therefore I lied to please the mob. Now all my lies are proved untrue And I must face the men I slew. What tale shall serve me here among Mine angry and defrauded young?

My nephew on Facebook best summed up this sorry mess for me when on Thursday night he:

Went to bed in Great Britain and woke up in little England.

Went To Bed In Great Britain And Woke Up In Little England.

Mick Hall @ the Marxist blog, Organized Rage writes:

Brexit was a political earthquake, but the people have spoken and we need to get on with the job of leaving EU.


Emma Goldman a US Anarchist said in the early 20th century "if voting changed anything, they'd make it illegal:" they being the ruling class of her day. If we look at how the British ruling class have acted since Brexit won the EU referendum they seem to prove Emma's point, whether LP, Lib Dem, Ukip or Tory.

The result of the EU referendum was not what I would have liked as I voted remain, but life is only rarely plain sailing.

David Cameron will go down as the man who accelerated the breakup of the UK and will rank as one of the UK's worst PM's alongside Anthony Eden and Tony Blair. Arrogance and ignorance are unattractive traits in any human being but for a PM they become downright dangerous. By calling a referendum on Europe for party political reasons when he had no idea how the result would turn out, was reckless beyond all reason and the country is well rid of this class prejudiced and pompous man who has little or no empathy with the average Briton.

Scotland and the north of Ireland (NI) will now have a sound case to leave the UK after their peoples voted to stay in the EU in large numbers. In Scotland the margin between remain and leave was massive, with 62% for remain, 38% for leave. This particular genie is never going to be stuffed back in the bottle.

What of the victors? Farage, Gove, Duncan Smith, and the odious philanderer, Alexander 'Boris' Johnson, were struck speechless when the result was announced. It was as if they couldn't believe what they had done. Far from having a Plan B to be implemented on victory, something any good General would have in their knapsack, they struggled to tell the millions who have voted for Brexit what their next move would be.

Instead Farage, ever the showman paraded himself before the media with an ain't I great, I worked for 20 years to free you from the EU yoke.

Michael Gove was pitiful as John Grace wrote:
Gove looked like a man who had just come down from a bad trip to find he had murdered one of his friends.

As to Boris he hid from the media in one of his three homes for the whole night of the vote and much of the following day, only to emerge that afternoon with some hackneyed waffle aimed to gain the support of the under 25s, oblivious to the fact four out of five had voted to stay in the EU.

The Brexit campaign leaders wanted a bonfire of EU red tape, health and safety, employment protection, human rights and environmental legislation and for Britain to become an offshore tax haven for slicksters, oligarchs, banksters and hot money. While the majority who voted for them want a strong welfare state, well funded NHS, well paid jobs and no immigrants in the land. One doesn't have to be one of the experts Brexit decried during the campaign to see the major contradiction at the heart of these opposing views.

Is it any wonder not one had a plan, nor it seemed had any intention of demanding Cameron immediately started the process which will lead to the UK leaving the EU.

The people have voted and we are out. We must accept Brexit and make the best of it. There should be no talk of a second referendum nor legal sleight of hand politics and legalese to avoid the consequences of the first.

Its is the responsibility of the victors and the LP leadership to immediately force the government to pull the trigger on Article 50, officially notifying Brussel's of Britain's intention to leave the EU. Then there is a two-year period in which the terms of the leavers exit are negotiated. During this time Britain would no longer be able to take part in any EU decision-making, and any exit agreements must be approved by all 27 remaining EU nations and the European Parliament.

Then after Britain’s formal exit, fresh negotiations can begin on any new trade deals. During this period there will be great uncertainty, two years to actually leave, another five if we're lucky to renegotiate all the treaties that no longer apply to UK as a non member of the EU.

Instead of getting on with the job, leading pro-Brexit politicians back peddle with weasel words like there is no hurry. Within 24 hrs of their Brexit victory Nigel Farage distanced himself from the claim that £350m of EU contributions could instead be spent on the NHS. While the Tory MEP Daniel Hannan went further and admitted Brexit could result in similar levels of immigration to the UK. It's a great pity he lacked the courage to say this during the campaign.

Hannan told the Guardian:

Frankly, if people watching think that they have voted and there is now going to be zero immigration from the EU, they are going to be disappointed.


It's as if the Brexit leadership are hoping something will turn up, anything but Brexit. Not one, to use their stupid terminology, has even attempted to start “taking back control” they have not made any attempt to “get their country back.” What charlatans, what shysters, what gombeen men and women they are.

As to UKIP which helped achieve 72.3% of votes cast for Brexit in my home district of Thurrock, their MEP along with all other British representatives should resign from the EU parliament immediately as they will no longer be able to take part in the EU decision making process. To continue within this parliamentary forum, to draw their £5,200 plus expenses monthly salary, paid in Euros, when the rest of us are shut out the door and suffering due to the pound having crashed through the floor, would be immoral, but then again this is what these people do.

UKIP MEP's, and many Tories have long been feeding greedily on the EU gravy train while talking the European Union down.

As to the current shenanigans in the Labour Party which have erupted this weekend, I agree with Paul Mason when he wrote:

Under Corbyn, Labour has to become a party designed to deliver social justice outside the EU. It should, for the foreseeable future, abandon the objective of a return to EU membership.

Yet what do we see, the old Blairite pro-neoliberal rump of Labour MPs and fellow travellers attempting to overthrow Jeremy Corbyn as party leader, when less than a year ago he was elected by the membership in a landslide, winning a solid mandate from all three sections of the Party. If anyone believes these people could win back Labour support you need to look at how the vote went in most of their constituencies, especially in the north. Not one of them managed to convince their own supporters to remain, And why would they when most were parachuted into safe seats during the Blair, Brown years?

What Rudyard Kipling said of the demagogues of his age, also applies to Michael Gove, Alexander 'Boris', Johnson, Nigel Farage, Duncan Smith, Hilary Benn and Margaret Hodge:

I could not dig; I dared not rob: Therefore I lied to please the mob. Now all my lies are proved untrue And I must face the men I slew. What tale shall serve me here among Mine angry and defrauded young?

My nephew on Facebook best summed up this sorry mess for me when on Thursday night he:

Went to bed in Great Britain and woke up in little England.

8 comments:

  1. I enjoyed that. Someone asked on facebook 'if there's a brexit what will they be left with'? Nothing but England hopefully was my reply. Fingers crossed we can toss in Wales too no loss.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Mick,

    'Emma Goldman, US Anarchist said in the early 20th century "if voting changed anything, they'd make it illegal:" they being the ruling class of her day. If we look at how the British ruling class have acted since Brexit won the EU referendum they seem to prove Emma's point, whether LP, Lib Dem, Ukip or Tory.'

    On the contrary it appears that Brexit has provided a salutary lesson that people voting in sufficient numbers of working class people can effect change. Those of us who voted to leave the EU have overturned a global political and corporate order not in the customary conflict that hitherto consumed millions of lives but with the humble ballot paper pencil. Something of a curiosity to find so many on the left aligned with them Mick.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Mick Hall,you talk of Scottish independence and Irish unity are bad things. I am disappointed in you. I hope someday soon you wake up and "Great Britain" no longer exists. Speed the day?

    ReplyDelete
  4. Larry,

    The only way Wales will stay in the EU is through an Irish own goal.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Steve Ricardos

    Tiz all over for us both now. Must say the reaction and respect for both sets of Irish fans from the French police and society/media in general has been overwhelming. I see some English fans attempted to goad the Irish into trouble resulting in French police immerdiately pepper spraying the English. Irish fans may get voted joint best of the tournament. Personally (me being naughty again) my vote went to the Russian fans I thought they did a wonderful job!!

    ReplyDelete
  6. chchlc2222 chchlc2222

    Where did I say Scottish independence and Irish unity are bad things? I simply made it clear if Brexit is implemented Scottish independent is almost assured. Irish unity is less certain but the remain vote in the north gives republicans a peg to hang a unity campaign on.

    Robert

    The link with Emma's quote is clear, on Thursday UK voted leave, on Friday and over the weekend the Brexit leadership is nowhere to be seen, knock me down with a feather if you wish but what this tells me is they are stalling. They should have been out all over the media demanding Cameron immediately implement Article 50. but as I wrote they were nowhere to be seen.

    Unless you misread what I wrote, I said the left must accept the result and we should support it being implemented immediately. My point being no one has overturned anything yet as the EU status quo remains, I would have thought those who supported brexit would have welcomed my post, especially we need to get on with the job.

    I have seen down the years a number of Nations voting against various EU treaties, what we are seeing now happened then, the governments of those countries went silent until they worked out a plan to deny the democratic vote. then they denied the will of the people either my frightening them via media and then calling another referendum or doing the same and totally ignoring the democratic mandate of the people.


    That is why it was so dangerous for Johnson, Gove and Farage, etc, to go absent without leave over the weekend, it gave the ruling class time to group and plan. (Never forget when push comes to shove the leaders of Brexit are members of that class)

    ReplyDelete
  7. Oh only to wake up to an independent England, Scotland and Ireland. That might be a start. You still seemed shocked. That is an emotion quite a few of us feel. it is still early days. You also are preoccupied with Farage, Boris, Gove etc and concentrate on the negative. You do not mention lies on both sides and the Armageddon predicted by the remain side. Something that you are still clinging to. Both sides by the way played the immigration card. How do you view the EU? I believe it is quintessential anathema to anyone on the left. Imagine going to bed and waking up in a supranational state. Who knows that may happen yet.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Buncrana Together,

    " I believe it is quintessential anathema to anyone on the left"

    Absolutely. The EU is a capitalist wet dream with the vaunted 'Free movement of capital and people'-otherwise known as corporate profit shifting to tax havens and cheap labour imported from poor countries, were the immigrants will work for peanuts and be too scared to Unionise.

    A Socialist should be striving for self-sufficient nation states, living peaceably within their means.

    I fail to see how the two can mix.

    ReplyDelete