Labour advsed to put party before country

 (I have a new computer which  seems to change font size at will and I haven't yet learned to do anything about it.  Apologies)


I suppose there's nothing particularly surprising about the title, but this policy was blatantly exposed  in an article by Labour party apologist Owen Jones in last Friday's Guardian.  Under the title, "Go for a soft Brexit, Labour: it will finish off the Tories,"Jones argued that, if in Labour's talks with Mrs May a compromise involving a customs union and "close alignment with the single market"  were reached, this would split the Tories for generations to come and open the door to years of unimpeded Labour rule.

Well, maybe it would, though I'm not all that sure.  The Tories' secret weapon is and always has been, loyalty.  It's over  150 years since they split over the Corn Laws.

But how does our  country benefit from compromise  Jones advocates?  Its other names are Norway + and Common Market 2.0 (though I'm not sure why.)  It  would involve obeying all EU rules, including the four freedoms (free movement of capital, goods, services and - wait for it-  labour ) without any say in the making of them. along with subjection to the jurisdiction of the ECJ without any representation on it. 

So what would be the point of leaving?  Who  would have voted for that  if it had been made explicit in the 2016 referendum?

 Equally misleading ,  Jones believed   that a deal between Labour and Mrs May would  merely cause fury from those remainders who would  be “satisfied by no less than another referendum.” 

How sadly he misjudges us.  This remainer  will be satisfied with nothing less than a revocation of Article 50, an apology to the EU for wasting so much of their time and energy, and a promise to be co-operative and constructive members in the future.  Maybe the second part of this wish-list is pie in the sky, but over  6 million people have signed a petition calling for the first part, and Jones, wearing his Labour Party blinkers, never even mentions us.

   There is a better alternative to a soft Brexit.  If there is no deal before the coming Friday (12th April) and the EU refuses a further extension, then the Liberal Democrats will put forward a motion in parliament on Thursday to revoke Article 50.  Labour should vote for it. The UK is robust enough to survive the furious shrieks of the frustrated Brexiteers and any “yellow vest” disruption they may stir up.  

Then we  can, maybe after a general election get round to tackling, in co-operation with our nearest neighbours, the real problems facing our county, our continent and our planet.