The party must react decisively to the Independent Group’s formation, for both the anti-Brexit movement – and its futureJust as the battle enters its crucial final phase, several captains have unilaterally headed for the lifeboats. With five weeks to go until Brexit and a carefully calibrated strategy of amendments playing out, centrist Labour MPs have apparently chosen this as their moment to split. People who have spent their entire lives espousing loyalty to Labour and passion for the anti-Brexit cause have now taken a course of action that will profoundly damage both. Joining them are three anti-Brexit Tory MPs: Anna Soubry, Heidi Allen and Sarah Wollaston.It is best to respond to big political shocks with intellectual honesty. For as long as the left’s dominance endured and the parliamentary party became subject to democratic oversight by members, a Labour split of some sort was always inevitable. As someone on the radical left, I know that it is very unlikely that I will be in the same party as Peter Mandelson when we end capitalism. But understanding that splits must happen does not translate to welcoming them all, or doing them all at once. Continue reading…
Via: Labour must take on the splitters by finally backing a people’s vote | Michael Chessum
Categories: English News