Brexit: Theresa May Government on the Verge of Collapse

 

Fight for an End to Austerity! Organize against the Brexit Chaos!

 

 

By Joseph Adams, RCIT Britain, 26 February 2019, www.thecommunists.net

 

 

 

The Tory government of Theresa May is in an enormous crisis. Its ability to rule has been put to the test many times. She has been defeated on her plans for Brexit from the euro-sceptic wing of the party.

 

Meanwhile the pro-Europeans have lined up with the Blairites in the Labour party, the Liberal democrats and the SNP to oppose Brexit, but they are in a minority.

 

The biggest problem for the May government is the Irish backstop as the hard border with an EU country Eire which would mean tariffs restrictions and border controls for transport between England and Ireland. It would effectively stop all trade between the two countries. The European Union has said May cannot change the terms of the withdrawal agreement and the Irish backstop remains causing May to promise that she can persuade the EU to agree to her demands in an attempt to soothe her Brexiteers who are opposed to the Irish Backstop. May has visited both Belfast in the North of Ireland and Strasbourg where she met with little success.

 

“Theresa May fired a warning shot at Brexit supporters on Tuesday, insisting there was “no suggestion” Britain would leave the EU without an insurance provision to protect against a hard border in Northern Ireland. At a speech in Belfast, May would only accept that technology could “play a part” in any alternative arrangements and that she would not countenance anything that would disrupt the lives of border communities. (...) However, speaking in Belfast, May said she knew there were anxieties in Northern Ireland about replacing the backstop arrangement and said there would always be an insurance option to prevent a hard border contained within the withdrawal agreement. “I’m not proposing to persuade people to accept a deal that does not contain that insurance policy for the future,” she said”. [1]

 

British Businesses are fearful that a no deal Brexit on the 29th March will lead to chaos. Food manufacturers have said that they will not be able to import or export their produce and there is fear of empty shelves in supermarkets leading to panic buying and stockpiling. Nissan, the Japanese car maker who promised to build car parts in Sunderland in the north of England, has now reneged on that promise and is now going to build the car parts in Japan.

 

“Nissan has confirmed it is abandoning plans to build a new model of one of its flagship vehicles at its Sunderland plant, as it warned that uncertainty over Brexit was affecting businesses. The Japanese car manufacturer announced in 2016 it would be making the new version of the X-Trail SUV at the factory in north-east England after receiving assurances about Brexit from the government, but on Sunday it said it would be produced in Japan.” [2]

 

Honda has announced that it is closing its Swindon Plant further evidence that Brexit and its consequences is driving British Imperialism into an indeterminable crisis with no way out.

 

“Honda is planning to close its factory in Swindon, dealing what trade unions called a “shattering body blow” to the UK automotive sector, which is already wrestling with the effects of Brexit-related uncertainty. The Japanese carmaker is expected to announce as early as Tuesday that it is planning to shut its Swindon plant in 2022, in a move that would put 3,500 jobs at its only European production site at risk and threaten many more in its supply chain.” [3]

 

 

 

Split in the Labour Party as 7 MP’s Resigns from the Labour Party

 

 

 

Brexit has also created splits in the Labour Party with the right-wing Blairites talking and working with the May Government. On the 18th February 7 right wing Blairite MP’s resigned from the Labour party and formed an independent group in Parliament. Led by Chuka Umuna, Chris Leslie and Luciana Berger these Blairites and Zionists MP’s will seek to prop-up the Tories over Brexit and reduce Corbyn’s Labour strengths in the Commons. It will give constituents in those working class constituencies an opportunity to choose candidates who will fight for socialism.

 

“The seven MPs who have quit in frustration at Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership will go into the day hoping to persuade more parliamentary colleagues to join their grouping. If the Independent Group can convince another 29 disaffected MPs from any party to join them, they would gain official third party status – overtaking the SNP – and receive taxpayer funding. Those who resigned – Luciana Berger and Chuka Umunna, along with Ann Coffey, Mike Gapes, Chris Leslie, Gavin Shuker and Angela Smith – attacked Corbyn’s leadership of Labour, accusing him of betraying members and the country with his Brexit stance”. [4]

 

These MP’s and there are likely to be many more are Tories in the Blair tradition. They have over the years supported Blair with his pro-imperialist and pro-capitalist views. They stand now as traitors and fifth columnists who have never espoused socialism and have remained pro-capitalist infiltrators in the Labour Party.

 

May has promised a cabal of right-wing MP’s like Caroline Flint and John Mann who are MP’s in deprived northern areas of Britain financial help and support for those communities. They are in effect bribing a layer of Blairites to go along with her Brexit plans in order to create problems for Jeremy Corbyn, the leader of the Labour Party, who favours a customs union and closer ties to the EU. The Blairites themselves are split between the Pro-Europeans like Yvette Cooper and Hilary Benn and others who are in Leave constituencies and fear losing their seats at the next election. Trade union bureaucrats like Len McCluskey of Unite, Dave Prentiss of Unison and Tim Roache of the GMB have been meeting May behind the backs of their members and in opposition to Corbyn who was reluctant to meet her. This shows the true nature of this trade union bureaucracy which is corrupt as ever and remains very close to the capitalist class and will do a deal with May.

 

“Theresa May has sparked hopes among senior Labour figures that she is laying the groundwork to compromise on her Brexit deal after next week’s meaningful vote, following a flurry of contacts with union leaders and MPs in recent days. Conservative ministers were calling around Labour MPs on Thursday – including at least one member of the shadow cabinet – to gauge support for May’s deal if she beefs up pledges on workers’ rights. May spoke directly to Len McCluskey, the Unite general secretary who is a close ally of Jeremy Corbyn, and Tim Roache, the GMB general secretary. The calls – the first time she has spoken to either of the union leaders – were one demand made by a group of Labour MPs, including Gareth Snell and Caroline Flint, who met her in Downing Street earlier this week.” [5]

 

On the 20th February 3 Tory MP’s resigned from the Tory Party and joined the new Independent group of Labour Turncoats who have been added by Joan Ryan, the vicious Zionist MP for Enfield North who has conducted witch-hunts against perceived Anti-Semitism which in fact is Anti-Zionism. The Blairites and the Zionists working together have whipped up a scenario of racism and bigotry against the left wing leadership of Corbyn. There still remains a sizeable amount of Blairites still inside the Labour party organized around Watson, Benn, Cooper and Kinnock who will no doubt choose their moment to inflict as much damage as possible on the Labour party leadership of Corbyn. Their characterization of the Labour party as racist has been exposed when one of the defectors Angela Smith made an openly racist comment at a press Conference.

 

 

 

Threat of Military Involvement Post Brexit

 

 

 

British imperialism, fearful of a no deal Brexit and the lack of clarity from the Theresa May government, feels that Britain would be less safe with threats of terrorism and is now threatening military involvement after the deadline for Britain’s withdrawal from Europe. Gavin Williamson, the defence secretary, recently made a statement on using drone warfare will threaten the working class and the oppressed masses. This military power could be used against refugees and migrants and the oppressed as the imperialists try and defend Fortress Britain.

 

“Gavin Williamson said the specially-adapted drones could be in operation by the end of 2019. He also warned in a speech that the UK needs a bolder and stronger armed forces prepared to use "hard power Speaking at the Royal United Services Institute, Mr Williamson said Britain must stand up to those who "flout international law". There was an extra £1.8bn for defence in the last budget and Mr Williamson said Brexit had brought the UK its "greatest opportunity" to strengthen its global presence. He said the military's cyber capabilities will be reinforced to defend and launch attacks.” [6]

 

The RCIT in Britain advocates a bold policy to meet this crisis of Brexit and the breakup of bourgeois politics with splits amongst the bourgeoisie. The RCIT restates its views on Brexit:

 

* Expel the remaining Blairites and Zionists MP’s who have organised coups against the Jeremy Corbyn leadership!

 

* For Open Borders! Migrants and refugees coming to Britain should have free movement. Reject immigration controls! No to Islamophobia, racism or fascist provocation!

 

* Build action committees and self defence guards of the working class and the oppressed! Defend migrants and refugees from fascist or police provocation!

 

* For a general strike to bring down this hated Tory government! For a Workers Revolutionary Government! Join the RCIT Britain!

 

Footnotes

 

1) https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/feb/05/theresa-may-wont-seamless-border-northern-ireland-brexit-belfast

 

2) https://www.theguardian.com/business/2019/feb/03/nissan-confirms-new-x-trail-will-not-be-built-in-sunderland

 

3) https://www.theguardian.com/business/2019/feb/18/carmaker-honda-plans-to-close-swindon-factory-reports

 

4) https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/feb/19/tuesday-briefing-independent-group-aims-to-scoop-up-other-frustrated-mps

 

5) https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/jan/10/theresa-may-contacts-union-leaders-for-brexit-deal-support-from-labour

 

6) https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/feb/11/uk-will-deploy-drone-squadrons-after-brexit-says-defence-secretary-gavin-williamson