Britain after the European Elections and Theresa May’s Resignation
Article by Joseph Adams, RCIT Britain, 02.06.2019, https://redliberation.wordpress.com
Theresa May resigned as Prime Minister on the 24th May when she realised that her withdrawal motion for Brexit was again to be defeated. Her support in the Tory Party was nil and she faced open revolt from the Brexiteers in her own party. It was a crisis that could only be resolved with her leaving Downing Street. She has agreed to stay on as Prime Minister until June 7th when the election of her successor starts in earnest.
The leadership contest is likely to tear the Tory party apart. It faces election where pollsters have forecast the worst result for the Tories since 1838. May will hand the broken chalice onto other prospective leaders with left and right vying for the leadership contest. The result should be known by July.
“Theresa May has bowed to intense pressure from her own party and named 7 June as the day she will step aside as Conservative leader, drawing her turbulent three-year premiership to a close. May’s announcement came after a meeting with Graham Brady, the chair of the backbench Tory 1922 Committee, which was prepared to trigger a second vote of no confidence in her leadership if she refused to resign. Her fate was sealed after a 10-point “new Brexit deal” announced in a speech on Tuesday, infuriated Tory backbenchers and many of her own cabinet – while falling flat with the Labour MPs it was meant to persuade. The leader of the House of Commons, Andrea Leadsom, resigned on Wednesday rather than present the Brexit bill to parliament.” [1]
May will go down in history as one of the most incompetent leaders in recent times. The hallmark of her tenure of office has been austerity, extreme chauvinism racism and Islamophobia with pure hatred from her government against Muslims, the oppressed and migrants in Britain. As Home secretary and later as Prime Minister she has been responsible for the erosion of democratic rights and liberties leading to secret trials deportations and incarcerations in detention centers like Belmarsh and Yarlswood in Bedfordshire. These are no more than quasi concentration camps.
Many bourgeois commentators have commented on her weaknesses and incompetence while in office: “Theresa May will ultimately be remembered as the prime minister who was defeated by Brexit. Her task was to reconcile a nation split by the surprise referendum result. But if it was possible to achieve a graceful exit from the European Union, or indeed any exit, May utterly failed to negotiate it. In reality, May delivered only limited social reforms. Ultimately, Brexit dominated her premiership and, in the end, little else could be achieved. It was clear there was no majority in parliament for her deal in December, so May pulled the vote, after admitting that she would have been defeated “by a significant margin”. It was the first in a succession of humiliations. By now enough letters – 48 – had been handed to Sir Graham Brady, the chairman of the Conservative party’s backbench 1922 Committee, to force an ill-timed vote of confidence in her leadership”. [2]
Euro Election Result in Britain
The European election result in Britain and the reflection in all of the 27 European states have seen electoral success of right wing, racist populist parties in most European countries. The two main political blocs in the European parliament, the Conservative EEP and the social democratic alliance S&D still remain the two largest groups but without a majority. It will be a fractured parliament.
In Britain Nigel Farage’s Brexit party won 35% of the vote totally eclipsing his former party UKIP who are now a spent force. The Liberal democrats came second with 20%, Labour came in with 14% and the Greens on 12%. The Tories were destroyed and just have 4 MEP’s in the new European parliament. The large rejection of support for the two main parties, especially the Tory party, demonstrates that they are so out of touch with the working class and the exploited masses. The bourgeoisie is split itself between Brexit/remain political positions. The Blairite traitors of Umuna and Hodge had no effect on the election and like the SDP before them they are likely to join the Liberal Democrats.
“The Brexit Party was the clear winner in the UK's European elections, while the pro-EU Lib Dems came second. The Conservatives and Labour suffered heavy losses, with the former getting less than 10% of the vote. Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage said he was ready to "take on" the main parties in a general election. Mr Farage's party won 29 seats, the Lib Dems 16, Labour 10, the Greens seven, the Tories four, the SNP three, and Plaid Cymru and the DUP one each.” [3]
The Blairites Role in the Labour Party
A section of the Blairites in the Labour Party led by the deputy leader Tom Watson have decided to remain in the party and complete their pro-capitalist moves to support European capital. They remain determined to destroy the left reformist leadership of Jeremy Corbyn who threatens the goal of a key sector of British imperialism which is to remain with the European bloc. The Labour Party under Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership has tried to steer a path between Brexit and a Customs Union with some ties with Europe. But the fifth columnists of Watson and Co has been to constantly disrupt the leadership of Corbyn and prevent a general election with Corbyn winning. The Blairites will do anything to prevent a Labour Government under Corbyn and would prefer the Tories to remain in office.
The result of the EU elections is that the Tory party is now a rump with the majority of Tory supporters voting for Farage’s Brexit party with its racist and chauvinist diatribe against migrants and Muslims. The support for the Brexit party and for the remain Parties proves that this Tory government has lost the mandate to rule and should call a General Election now. The Brexit party won in England with the exception of London with its multi-ethnical composition voted for the remain position. It is clear that Labour party supporters split between Remain/Brexit votes.
In Scotland the Labour party failed to return an MEP and did badly. The SNP, advocating a remain position as First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has always supported European capitalism, became the largest party. The Brexit party came second. The same results were repeated in Wales and Northern Ireland.
No Support to either EU Imperialism or Nation State Imperialism
The RCIT has already shown that the European elections took place under enormous crisis. The 2019 European elections were in many ways a repeat of the 2016 referendum detailing the extreme divisions between the two camps of imperialism Remain/Brexit. As we stated in our article on the European elections:
“A focus of this strategic antagonism with European imperialism is the agony of Britain’s Brexit. This tragical-comical process demonstrating the utter impotence of the country’s bourgeois leadership reflects the dead end the ruling class finds itself in. The workers and oppressed of Europe must defend their political independence. They must not be used as servants for the interests of either the pro-EU or pro-nation state capitalists. Neither the imperialist European Union nor an “independent” imperialist nation state serves the interests of the working class. The only way forward for workers and the oppressed is to fight against the capitalist governments (both within and outside of the EU) and to unite in struggle across national borders”. [4]
The attack of the Blairites and pro-Zionist forces in the Labour party continues with vengeance. Their aim is to destroy and remove the left reformist Jeremy Corbyn as leader in a planned coup and replace him with a more pliable leader more suited to the dictates of European capitalism. This latest report of the misnamed Equality Commission (a quasi-state organization) has declared that the Labour party is awash with anti-Semitism. This is yet another declared witch-hunt against Corbyn and his supporters providing no real evidence.
“In Britain the Labour Party experienced the aggressive campaign of the Blair-ite and pro-Zionist wing that resulted in the expulsion of pro-Palestine activists under the false pretext of “Anti-Semitism”. This shameful assault, however, faced no real resistance by the Corbyn leadership”. [5]
The RCIT in Britain puts forward the following transitional demands to unite the working class and the exploited masses in a struggle to overthrow imperialism and establish socialism.
* Critical support for the Corbyn wing of the Labour Party. Expel and purge the Blairite and Zionists in the Labour Party. The expulsion of the Arch Blairite Alistair Campbell is a first step in this process. Now other Blairites like Watson and Kinnock must also face the same fate.
* Defend Corbyn against the Blairite and Pro-Zionist coup being organized using the tool of anti-Semitism as a weapon to expel and purge the Labour party of socialists and pro-Palestinian supporters. Its aim to destroy and remove Corbyn as leader.
* Oppose austerity - for demonstrations, strikes leading to a general strike. Action committees must be formed in every region in the country. Defend these action committees with armed defense guards against fascist and police provocateurs.
* Open all Borders - free movement for migrants, refugees and Muslims irrespective of culture, religion or nationality! No to Islamophobia, chauvinism and racism. Migrants and Muslims must be allowed to practice their religion, speak their own language and wear their own dress.
* Full equality for migrants and refugees - equal wages, decent housing and full citizenship. Scrap visas and allow migrants and refugees indefinite stay in the country of their choice.
* Neither Brexit nor Remain! No support for any imperialist state - no to the EU or nation state. For a United Socialist States of Europe! Build the Revolutionary World Party! Join the RCIT in Britain!
Footnotes
3) https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-48417228
4) https://www.thecommunists.net/worldwide/europe/socialists-and-the-eu-elections-2019/
5) ibid