Friday 10th February

This is not the oxymoron it may at first appear.  We have just witnessed something quite incredible; the Labour party has actually been honest.  Of course, the Media will portray it as yet another failure, of leadership, of competence and another nail in their coffin.  The Conservative party with the sole exception of Ken Clarke has marched behind the new triumphalist banner of Brexit, when only a few months ago they were campaigning for, and presumably believed in, remaining in the EU.  We can almost forgive Theresa May; she is the Prime Minister, and even though she was technically a Remainer (hahaha) she has to show leadership or what the media tells us is leadership – that is being strong and forthright and never changing your mind (er….didn’t she just do that after the Brexit vote?).  But it is quite amazing how the Tory party has managed to not only accept the result of the referendum but are now all ardent supporters of a completely opposite policy than the one they until very recently professed that they were solidly behind.  I call this dishonesty.

Many of these too represented constituencies which voted to remain, so they not only ignored their previously stated beliefs but also the views of their constituents.  But they are praised by the media as loyalists; but loyal to what?  Their parties shifting position – not their own consciences, surely.

Meanwhile, over on the Labour benches….

Jeremy, possibly foolishly, in an attempt to look strong and ‘popular’ insisted on a three-line whip in favour of accepting the Government’s triggering of Article 50.  The situation is quite complex, as many Labour M.P.s who campaigned to Remain represent constituencies which voted Leave, and many also were in constituencies which voted Remain.  Now; what is an M.P. elected to do?  Is it to blindly follow their Leader and the Party despite believing in something else entirely?  Maybe we should ask Jeremy himself, a serial defector and conscientious objector if ever there was one.  Should the M.P. consult his constituents?  And what better measure than looking at the results of the referendum, conveniently available and reported by constituency.  So; if an M.P. personally strongly believed in Remain and their constituents also voted that way, is it not that M.P.s responsibility to be honest and vote the way both their conscience and their voters believed in?

Of course, this display of honesty will not help the Labour party which will be portrayed as even more hopelessly divided and undisciplined.  But personally I completely respect the position of those M.P.s who ‘rebelled’ and voted for once honestly.  And remember, they knew the arithmetic; they knew that their votes would not affect the result at all; this was simply the only thing they felt they could honestly do.