Brexit: Parliament is playing a very dangerous game, an expensive game

Brexit: Parliament is playing a very dangerous game, an expensive game

When Anna Soubry rose in the House of Commons the game was self-evident. Why not a General Election? For the same reasons that the Labour Party doesn't want a General Election. Plagued by internal conflicts and divisions, scandals, it remains to be seen if the Labour Party is not actually the big loser in the skirmishes linked to Brexit.

Jeremy Corbyn knows that this could well be the end of his political career. After all that is happening in the Labour Party, losing a General Election means goodbye to the Leadership of the Labour Party and a reshuffle that will be the end of the road for John McDonnell and others that will be blamed for the context in which many Labour MPs left to become Independents and even joined the Liberal Democrats. For some Labour MPs, all the threats will mean very little either because their majorities look unassailable or simply because after decades in politics they are heading for retirement. For other Labour MPs, the risk of their careers being ended by a General Election is very real and therefore they will drag their feet for as long as it is possible to do so. Other Labour MPs see the defeat of the Labour Party and in particular of Jeremy Corbyn as the best opportunity they have to rebuild the Labour Party. Losing an election would be for them a price worth paying 

For the Liberal Democrats, it is the kind of opportunity that they have been looking for for a vary long time. They jumped at the chance of being in government and this is why they were eager to join the Conservative Party in a coalition under the Leadership of David Cameron. In fact, some Labour MPs asked the Liberal Democrats today if they were willing to join the Conservatives in a coalition if the outcome of a General Election is once again a hung Parliament. There is the suspicion that this is exactly what the Leadership of the Liberal Democrats is looking for as several of them - including its present Leader - were in government with the Conservatives. The main difficulty is that the present Liberal Democratic Party was joined by Labour MPs and Conservative MPs and they would be in a very awkward situation.

For those like Chuka Umunna, former Labour MP for Streatham, to leave the Labour Party was a jump into the unknown. Then came the option of joining another political grouping with former Labour MPs and former Conservative MPs called Change UK. But after a dramatic failure in the European Parliament Elections, Chuka Umunna instinctively knew that the only alternative was to join the Liberal Democrats to stand a chance to try to save his political career. In a General Election, he wouldn't stand in Streatham and therefore he would be standing in the City. He secured his position as Liberal Democrat Speaker on Economic Affairs but, would he be willing to be part of a coalition with the Conservatives? For Conservatives who left the Conservative Party and joined the Liberal Democratic Party to see themselves as part of a coalition with the Conservatives would be a paradox and a very uncomfortable position to be in.

But before we can assume that Labour MPs and Conservative MPs who joined the Liberal Democrats would be re-elected but this time as Liberal Democrat MPs, we need to look at what is happening right now. The European Union suggested that they would agree to an extension - that they called a flexible extension - to allow the UK to finalize all legislative processses including the approval of the Withdrawal Agreement agreed with Prime Minister Boris Johnson but the agreement for a flexible extension comes with conditions attached and they are waiting for the House of Commons to make a decision that the House of Commons is not willing to make. The House of Commons hasn't approved the Deal, the House of Commons doesn't want a second Referendum and the House of Commons doesn't want a General Election. What would then be the point of granting an extension - or even a flexible extension? 

Will the EU deny the United Kingdom an extension at the last minute because the House of Commons cannot agree the way forward? It has been reported that tomorrow, a new motion will be put forward that would make possible to have a General Election despite the Fixed Term Parliament Act that requires a two-third majority of all 650 seats of the House of Commons including the seats that have not been occupied by Sinn Fein/IRA. The Speaker and other officials despite being MPs don't vote. For this reason, in order to have the required number of votes - according to the Fixed Term Parliament Act - a vast number of Labour MPs would have to support the motion. Tomorrow, would be decision time in the House of Commons. Would this be the end of the stalemate?

 

Brexit: Jeremy Corbyn's only alternative to prevent the disintegration of the Labour Party is a Referendum

Brexit: Jeremy Corbyn's only alternative to prevent the disintegration of the Labour Party is a Referendum

Jeremy Corbyn has rejected a General Election three times while asking for a General Election more than 50 times. Why? It doesn't escape public attention the flow of Labour MPs leaving the Labour Party because of anti-Semitism, harassment and the risk of deselection. 

On the same day of the start of the Labour Party Conference in Brighton, there was an attempt to get rid of Labour's Deputy Leader Tom Watson. Later on, there were dramatic changes at Labour Central Office with Jeremy Corbyn's supporters being replaced with John McDonnell's supporters. Not only that. Just a few day, key members of the cabinet spoke for Remain while Jeremy Corbyn was nowhere to be seen.

He announced a three-line whip and 19 Labour MPs supported the Deal proposed by the Conservative government. Now, it is reported that faced with possibility of a motion for General Election on Monday, Jeremy Corbyn is asking Labour MPs not to support it. There deselection processes south of the border and north of the border. And the issue of anti-Semitism has not gone away. Some of his key MPs even joined the Liberal Democrats. 

Jeremy Corbyn and others like to talk about chaos in the Conservative Party but looking at what has been going on in the Labour Party I would say that they situation is a lot worse in the Labour Party.

The great benefitiaries are the Conservative Party as party for Leave and the Liberal Democrats as party for Remain. They are the only two parties that stand to be net winners in a General Election. The Labour Party performed badly in the European Elections and there is the danger that Labour could become the third party in a General Election.

Vince Cable spoke about the creation of a centrist political party. The fact that Conservative MPs and Labour MPs have joined the Liberal Democrats would be a step in what Vince Cable called a new alternative. The creation of a non-Marxist alternative in British politics could be the sign of things to come.

When you go down to local level, Labour grassroots have been turning against local authorities controlled by the Labour Party accussing them of being the drivers of gentrification and ethnic cleansing. The next stage would be a challenge to Labour hegemony at local authority level. If there is a General Election in December, what will happen in the London Election? Siobhan Benita - former independent Mayoral Candidate will be standing for the Liberal Democrats. Shaun Bailey will be standing for the Conservatives. Will Sadiq Khan survive? At constituency level, with processes of deselection of local MPs, the outcome for the Labour Party is less than certain.

  

A Crucial week not just for the UK but also for EU

A Crucial week not just for the UK but also for EU

In an unusual manner, Parliament will be sitting on Saturday October 19 2019. On Saturday, in the House of Commons, the manner in which the United Kingdom will be leaving the European Union will be debated.

Whether the so called Benn Act will come into play or not will depend on what happened with the ongoing negotiation but it will also depend on the behaviour of the Labour Party now lead by John McDonnell who has effectively take the reins from the hands of Jeremy Corbyn by replacing key players close to Jeremy Corbyn.

Even Jess Phillips has spoken about throwing her hat in the ring should Jeremy Corbyn resign and the subject of such resignation has been mentioned far too often not to take into account. Should there be a General Election, will Jeremy Corbyn lead the Labour Party in such General Election? Is the Labour Party seeing Jeremy Corbyn as an electoral liability? 

Well, an Independent MP (former Labour Party) spoke loud and clear about the fact that Jeremy Corbyn would wreck long standing relationships like the US/Britain relationship  and the relationship with NATO. There was even the threat that Jeremy Corbyn would take Britain out of NATO that Emily Thornberry said had no foundation and explicitly said that Jeremy Corbyn had never spoken about taking Britain out of NATO. But whether Jeremy Corbyn wants or doesn't want to wreck the US/UK relationship or take Britain out of NATO is irrelevant. What is relevant is that given his stances in geopolitical terms he doesn't inspire much needed confidence.

This is a time when there are so many "what ifs" that all certainties have evaporated but I have no doubts that at this point in time those in charge of the European Union have come to see Britain's presence in the European Union as a threat since they were reminded of the fact that Britain could block things as critical as the European Union Budget. Allowing an orderly exit would be now a number one priority for the European Union. 

  

For decades the Labour Party has instigated violence against political opponents

For decades the Labour Party has instigated violence against political opponents

When politicians were being targetted by Labour Party supporters on the streets, did the Labour Party representatives stand to put an end to aggression on the streets? This is the same Labour Party that called its political opponents Nazi, Fascist, Racist and the like using parapolitical organisations like Hope Not Hate, the UAF and the trade unions to target political opponents even in front of the Houses of Parliament.

Let's see what John McDonnell stated not long ago called for direct actions against Conservative MPs and Lib Dem MPs.

This is not to mention the actions promoted by the Labour Party against other political organization representatives.

Moderation is needed to prevent acts of violence but for years the Labour Party and related parapolitical organizations have promoted violence against political opponents.

If Jess Phillips is so concerned about violence against Members of Parliament, what about incidents targetting Jacob Rees Mogg? What about walking around with placards with incendiary slogans? What about throwing milkshakes and glass bottles against political opponents? They laughed about acts of aggression promoted by the Labour Party itself.

Britain: Of Fidel Castro, Salvador Allende and Jeremy Corbyn

Britain: Of Fidel Castro, Salvador Allende and Jeremy Corbyn

Jeremy Corbyn has publicly stated that he wants a General Election because he believes that the embattled Labour Party under his leadership has a clear opportunity to take over the reins of Britain and Conservatives like Philip Hammond, Dominic Grieve and Rory Stewart are more than willing to destroy a Conservative government and open the way for a government led by Jeremy Corbyn.

Will the European Union openly support such possibility in spite of the obvious ideological differences and geopolitical repercussions? We are talking about major issues that include Britain's relationship with Iran, Saudi Arabia, Israel and, fundamentally, Britain's relationship with the USA and NATO.

And what about the unity of the United Kingdom? Jeremy Corbyn and John McDonnell openly supported the IRA and the unification of Ireland. The latter has been criticised for having in his constituency office images about the 'martyrs of the IRA'. 

Under Tony Blair, there was talk about nationalisation but it was just talk. Under a Labour government led by Jeremy Corbyn with John McDonnell as Chancellor of the Exchequer, talk will become certainty.

Getting Brexit right, given the threats posed by a Labour government led by Jeremy Corbyn, becomes much more of a priority. The newly elected Lib Dem Leader did well to distance herself from a potential alliance with the present Labour Party. There is always the Law of unintended consequences. If the Remain Camp seeks to destroy a Conservative government, the Remain Camp will unleash forces that they will not be able to control