Congratulations to >700k ppl who marched yesterday. It will make a difference, even if there is no 2nd referendum. Here's how: 1/ May is finished...
2/ Times says there are 46/48 letters ready to trigger leadership challenge. Raab vs May this morning shows even Cabinet can't agree what Chequers actually means...
3/ But the Tories are now infighting against a clock that will likely bring more devastating corporate pull outs from Britain - and worse: "extended transition" means U.K. distracted/sidelined from key 21C issues...
4/... Climate change, AI, industrial policy... all strategic questions have to be sidelined when there is government by internal warfare. We are a second tier power of decreasing importance - what Tory cane into politics to achieve that?
5/ I continue to support Labour leadership position: no confidence, election, soft Brexit deal - but yesterday shows why that would need a second ratification referendum. We need to settle UK/EU relations for a generation...
6/ We need Shadow Cabinet to show empathy and support for the PV effort: it is party policy not to rule it out and conference voted for "participation" in EEA...but...
7/ A warning. If 17m voters see Brexit overturned + blame the socio-economic group dominant yesterday we will see marches 2x that big and they will be a lot less pleasant. ..
8/ It is statecraft, not any secret Lexit strategy, that obliges Labour not to become the Remain Party. We want to construct a political alliance between the ppl on that march and progressive ppl who still want to leave EU...
9/ What next? Tory meltdown for sure. 50+ Tory centrists to support PV amendment? If they do, Labour has to support it in the national interest - to stop the hard Brexit shock doctrine of Fox, Mogg, McVey, Mordor etc...
10/ More likely DD takes over, tries to sign Canada+ deal, gets Tusk/Juncker to sell it (they will if NI in CU). Meanwhile... our country goes to shit & civil society v scratchy... hence everything must be done to stop hard Brexit...
11/ ...the left bloc on the march was big - but Labour needs to build a hegemonic alliance with the centrist voters, groups, & ethos of that demo. That's about language, actions and priorities
12/12... it's all about vision now: what kind of Britain do we want that heals the Brexit divide & allows U.K. to become a magnet for tech, skills, culture, research? Tories are out of answers, for sure. ENDS
