It’s been a busy week on the Brexit front, first, the Prime Minister lays out her stall and vision on how the Article 50 negotiations might take place and on the UK’s goals, I originally created a story on Storify which is now posted here, and then the Supreme Court rules that the Government needs an Act of Parliament to authorise the Article 50 notice. This has created much excitement in all the political parties; let’s hope the result is that Parliament or the electorate get the opportunity to authorise or reject the final agreement although much will depend on whether the Article 50 notice is revocable since I want the rejection of the Article 50 negotiations to be that we remain members. There’s much to play for. Let’s hope to opposition play their cards well in the next month. I am still of the view that there’s no exit terms as good as staying in and I am in direct disagreement with the Tories, we want and need the European Court because it’s a counter to Parliamentary Sovereignty; it’s the only way to guarantee workers and citizens rights against a backwoodsman Tory Parliament.
Manoeuvres
This could have been longer, looking at the lines being developed by the Opposition parties, the dialectic between Corbyn and Starmer, the growing opposition of Labour’s London MPs (except it would seem John McDonnell & Kate Hooey), the lines of the SNP & the Liberal Dems (who have over 100 peers). We should look at Labour’s policy which is that if the terms are wrong we should remain and the position of the Tory Remainers (and advocates of the single market) because May only has a majority of 9 now. But I don’t have time today
In terms of Labour’s more long term strategies, its fundamental coalition is in jeopardy and the fracture point is immigration. On immigration policy we should take account of the unused immigration control powers that exist, and note the fact that the EEA counties have an immigration brake agreement (as Cameron was offered) but the basic policy response to non racist arguments on immigration are labour market & trade union reform and proper funding of housing and education. Immigration is based on skills demand; people don’t come here because our benefits are good and the only way to stop it is therefore to shrink the economy. May has proved that Immigration controls can’t work because it wasn’t a lack of will.