Jeremy Corbyn needs to publish details of his post-Brexit plan now

By Ayo Akinfe 

(1) It is clear to all and sundry that Boris Johnson will pull the UK out of the European Union (EU) on October 31, even if it ruins the economy. Johnson is on a suicide mission and is prepared to damn the consequences. If Britain’s economy is going to shrink by 50%, so be it. Johnson is hellbent on pressing the self-destruct button 

(2) As the saying goes: “He who the gods want to destroy, they first make mad.” Johnson is unconcerned about the number of manufacturing plants that will pull out of Britain post-Brexit and relocate the Europe with thousands of job losses. He also does not give a damn about the number of British companies that will lose access to the common market overnight 

(3) Johnson also does not give a damn about the massive shortages that will be witnessed in the fruit picking, car washing and construction industries without the steady supply of European labour. We all saw what happened to Germany when Adolf Hitler locked up some of its best brains in concentration camps because they were Jewish. Cutting off one’s nose to spite one’s face is always a recipe for disaster 

(4) Does Jeremy Corbyn have an alternative plan though? First of all, he should make it crystal clear that if he wins the next general election, Britain will remain in the EU. His message to the EU should be - treat any Johnson withdrawal as pending and stay execution on it until after the next general election 

(5) One of my big problems with the British left is that they too sometimes get sucked into the country’s colonial and imperialistic outlook. There is no socialist alternative to Remain and it is dishonest to try and paint a Leave argument as anything but rightwing nationalism 

(6) Brexit is about xenophobia, the fear of having to compete in the global labour market, believing you have a divine right to better living standards than others and a perception that you are a master race who should not forced to share the earth’s wealth with those you consider lesser persons 

(7) After World War Two, the European Union was created to foster peace on the continent after centuries of war, carving out spheres of influence by the major powers and clashes over foreign policy. It was agreed that having a united approach would reduce tension and avoid another major bloodbath 

(8) In this area, the EU has done well as we have not seen another Napoleon Bonaparte or Adolf Hitler since 1945. However, with Brexit, things may change. I hope Jeremy Corbyn is ready to take on the xenophobes and nationalists as they will fight back extremely hard. I can see the Brexit and Tory parties merging soon and recruiting storm troopers similar to Hitler’s SS

(9) Mr Corbyn has dropped the ball big time on this one. He has great policies on the NHS, social housing, education, public transport, women’s rights, the environment, race relations, fighting homophobia, workers rights, etc but alas, the issue is Brexit. He has no credible Brexit policy and no matter how well his policies are in other areas, Brexit will be his Achilles Heel 

(10) As titans fall, there will always be new kids in the block ready to replace them. From around the 16th century, Britain has been a global colossus but now she is about to fall on her sword. As the old oak tree dies, the shoots of new ones will emerge. We all know they are the large developing nations like China, India, Brazil, Mexico, Indonesia, Nigeria, Egypt, South Africa, Vietnam, the Philippines, etc

 

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