So, after months of apparent indecision Jeremy, 'the Geezer' Corbyn is playing the hard man. He has decided to reject the EU Withdrawal Bill and ordered his MP's to follow suit when the topic comes up for approval next Monday. This, of course, will leave the Government in turmoil, and if their own members abstain and the SNP joins Labour, then the Bill turning EU law back into UK law will become a huge impasse. There will be political turmoil with months, perhaps even years, of arguments between the benches and then the Upper House will ensue. Unlikely, but it is politics, so hey, nothing is unlikely?
Brexit
Having finally shown his hand and certainly a little more backbone than he did at the Referendum Bill 15 months ago. Corbyn has seen that the whole Brexit negotiations are a total shambles. A Party spokesman even predicted this afternoon that Labour may press for a second Brexit referendum, as so many voters have changed their minds in light of the hard measures that will be imposed by the divorce bill. Whatever people may have thought the European Union, it is a little like the Mafia, fine while you are in, but try to leave and life will be made as difficult as possible for you. Certainly, prominent members of the EU.negotiations team have said as much in recent days.
Europe
Unfortunately, it appears that our Prime Minister, Theresa May - remember her?
has been on the phone whining about the slow progress of the talks, but unfortunately, no one wants to talk to her. 'What would we talk about?' came the not unreasonable reply, after last week's talk ground to a halt in floods of acrimony. It was also leaked to the Sunday Times, that the PM had already agreed a 50 Billion settlement, long before any such thing had been discussed in Parliament.
It is also of little use, David Davies appearing in front of the cameras, smiling and pretending that everything is hunky-dory when it is clearly not. The pound is at its lowest level ever against the Euro and running pretty close to an all-time low against the dollar. Ok, trade appears to do well for the moment, but high-street sales have slumped, wages in the public-sector have not changed and the mood of the country is certainly prickly.
Whatever happens on Monday when the Bill is voted on, something has to change. Labour wants to stay in the single market, so do the SNP - and the whole European package as well - but it has been made clear that option is not open to us. Let's face it, we take more out of Europe than we put in, so it is in ringmaster Corbyn's political advantage to keep rattling those cages!
