Tag: brexit

Brexit & the British Working Class

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3 February 2020 — Economics of Imperialism

Much has been written on Brexit, stage 1 of which occurred on 31 January. But a key point has been ignored: the UK’s departure from the European Union is due to a reactionary revolt by the British (mainly English) working class. This went against the established policy of the political elites, bourgeoisie, ruling class – call them what you want – and will lead to many problems. As such, it represents the first time in very many decades that the ‘popular will’ of a vote has contradicted capitalist business interests. However, this is no reason for socialists to be happy.

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UK Came & Went, Leaving Europe in a Mess

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30 January 2020 — Consortium News

As Great Britain returns to the uncertainties of the open sea, it leaves behind a European Union that is bureaucratically governed to serve the interests of financial capital, writes Diana Johnstone

By Diana Johnstone in Paris
Special to Consortium News

Whew.  Finally, at last, the United Kingdom is formally leaving the European Union on Jan. 31.  Here in Paris, the champions of French withdrawal from the EU are celebrating. They see Brexit as the harbinger of a future “Frexit,” a French departure from undemocratic governance, and the beginning of the end of a failed project to unify Europe around the demands of neoliberal capitalism.

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Propaganda – Gov’t creates film factory to rewrite Brexit history

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20th January 2020 — True Publica

Propaganda - Gov't creates film factory to rewrite Brexit history

By TruePublica Editor: Dan Brown, author of the Da Vinci Code once wrote – “History is always written by the winners. When two cultures clash, the loser is obliterated, and the winner writes the history books – books which glorify their own cause and disparage the conquered foe. As Napoleon once said, ‘What is history, but a fable agreed upon?”

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BREXIT THE TRAGICOMEDY starring Johnson, the Emperor with no Mandate

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15 December 2019 — theplanningmotivedotcom

[I think this is an important piece of analysis, as far as it goes. WB]

brexit-the-tragicomedy-pdf

In times of great disappointment and crisis, it is important to keep a level head, to analyse the situation coolly and calmly, and most importantly to extend one’s intellectual vision beyond the immediate. Johnson, the Tories and the media are all rejoicing in what they consider to be a resounding victory. Clearly, the capitalist class and their media united, that is as far as the façade of democracy would allow, around the narrative, that it would be better to have a hard Brexit than a Corbyn led government. Faced with the choice between a Brexit that would damage the economy, and an aroused and inspired working class, they obviously chose the former.

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Get Brexit done!

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13 December 2019 — Michael Roberts Blog

That was the campaign slogan of the incumbent Conservative government under PM Boris Johnson.  And it was the message that won over a sufficient number of those Labour voters who had voted to the leave the EU in 2016 to back the Conservatives.  One-third of Labour voters in the 2017 election wanted to leave the EU, mainly in the midlands and north of England, and in the small towns and communities that have few immigrants.  They have accepted the claim that their poorer living conditions and public services were due to the EU, immigration and the ‘elite’ of the London and the south.

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The Incredible Disappearing Farage, and Other Electoral Oddities

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6 November 2019 — Craig Murray

For a decade Nigel Farage has been flung into our living rooms continually by the BBC. Even when UKIP barely registered a blip in the opinion polls, he was a regular on Question Time and the other news, current affairs and politics programme. Farage’s celebrity was a BBC creation. He served an important purpose. At a time when the wealth gap was growing exponentially, and working conditions and real incomes of ordinary people were deteriorating sharply, Farage helped amplify the Establishment message that the cause of these problems was not the burgeoning class of billionaires sucking up the world’s resources, but rather the poor immigrants also scratching to make a living.

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Brexit/Election News Links 3 November 2019

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3 November 2019 — The New Dark Age

There may be some duplication due to cross-posting and may be updated throughout the day, so please check back

General election 2019: Nigel Farage will not stand as candidate
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/election-2019-50280848

Election – One million under 45s register to vote in one month
https://truepublica.org.uk/united-kingdom/election-one-million-register-to-vote-in-one-month/

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UK Election – One million under 45s register to vote in one month

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3 November 2019 — True Publica

TruePublica Editor: Bad news for Boris Johnson keeps piling up as election campaigning is in now full swing.

First up and quite serious for all sorts of reasons is the news that evidence that could lead to criminal charges against the pro-Brexit campaign led by Boris Johnson and his key adviser, Dominic Cummings, has now been passed by police to the criminal prosecution authorities. This is significant because the police would not have submitted evidence if it thought it could not bring and win a case like this. Is this a political move to get back at the Tories for slashing 20,000 police officers and politicising the force over the last decade? Maybe, maybe not.

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Johnson and Cummings – Police hand criminal evidence to prosecution agency over Brexit campaign

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2 November 2019 — openDemocracy

Johnson and Cummings - Police hand criminal evidence to prosecution agency over Brexit campaign

By James Cusick: Evidence that could lead to criminal charges against the pro-Brexit campaign led by Boris Johnson and his key adviser, Dominic Cummings, has now been passed by police to the criminal prosecution authorities, openDemocracy has learned.

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UK: Johnson set to win vote to hold December general election

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29 October 2019 — WSWS

By Robert Stevens

MPs voted last night to reject Conservative Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s motion to call a snap general election on December 12. Johnson won the vote by 299 to 70 but the Fixed Term Parliament Act (FTPA) requires that general elections can only be called with the votes of two thirds (434) of MPs.

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European Union delays Brexit extension decision as Corbyn tries to avoid general election By Robert Stevens

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26 October 2019 — WSWS

The European Union (EU) has formally agreed to grant an extension to Brexit but is holding off on how long it should be. Ambassadors for the 27 member states met for two hours Friday. Due to divisions and given the stalemate in the British parliament, they said a final decision would be made early next week.

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The US/UK trade deal is truly frightening – here’s what’s coming

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22 October 2019 — True Publica

The US/UK trade deal is truly frightening - here's what's coming

By TruePublica Editor: In the magical illusions of the smoke and mirrors ideology behind Brexit, we should be acutely aware of what a trade deal with America means. In our article this week – The MAGA Agenda – it seems that among those on the radical right – the government, their acolytes and corporate donors – there is a widely held belief that a favourable trade deal can easily be negotiated with the United States. But this belief flies in the face of historical evidence as the US has proved on more than one occasion to be a ruthless and exploitative (so-called) partner where its own economic interests are involved. It is naive to think that America will be a cooperative and fair ally or partner in the common interest – it won’t. And being a sycophant of Trump’s America – with his MAGA agenda will prove to be the final nail in Britain’s coffin.

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Brexit News Links 19-20 October 2019

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20 October 2019 • 13:30 — The New Dark Age

There may be some duplication due to cross-posting and may be updated throughout the day, so check back

Labour to push for commons vote on new Brexit referendum
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheCanary/~3/U-SsdFfHkkQ/

Jeremy Corbyn says he’ll challenge the government ‘all the way’ over Europe
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheCanary/~3/eIXgaMh_5Fc/

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Brace yourself for Saturday 19th October

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18 October 2019 — True Publica

By TruePublica Editor: This Saturday is as important as that vote back in 2016. On the 23rd of June 2016, the electorate of Britain marginally voted to leave the EU. Three years and four months later parliament decides if that should happen. After the social division, mass political back-stabbings and subsequent implosion of the Tory party, the final showdown is tomorrow. MP’s have just one day to debate Boris Johnson’s Brexit deal.

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Is Johnson planning to renege on his Brexit deal?

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17 October 2019 — True Publica

Is Johnson planning renege on the EU Withdrawal Agreement?

By TruePublica Editor: “There is not a soul in the long corridors of Whitehall who believes the prime minister is telling the truth“. These are the words of Financial Times columnist Philip Stephens whose article is entitled – “Boris Johnson’s lies are plunging Britain into a dark morass.” Stephens is right to point out that deceiving the Queen, someone so widely respected around the world for her probity and commitment to public service has, through tradition, been exposed to the wreckage tactics of Johnson’s mendacity and lack of integrity. But it gets worse than that – much worse.

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No Brexit deal reached as European Union summit begins By Chris Marsden

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17 October 2019 — WSWS

In the end, yesterday finished with statements by a spokesman for Boris Johnson’s Conservative government that no Brexit deal would be reached as negotiations with the Tories’ political partners, the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), and technical talks with the European Union (EU) were ongoing.

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