THE PREVAILING orthodoxy and the political classes can spin the result all they want, but a six-week old party focused purely on true British withdrawal from the European Union has caused a political tsunami, writes . Nigel Forage’s party has reset and re-framed the political landscape in the United Kingdom; not only turning heads towards what a true Brexit entails, but also potentially sweeping away parties which may now begin to split and hemorrhage beyond recognition.
Farage is not only a dogged and determined political operator but is a politician whose moral fiber is cultivated from a firmly- held belief, an obsession even, that Britain must withdraw from the European Union. This does not make him an ideologue, a populist, but an individual who says what he means and means what he says.
It is an obsession that he has adhered to for twenty five years and which has taken the ballot box by storm due to the cowardice and pusillanimous posturing of a political elite that was was entirely myopic in its approach: let’s wreck Brexit, let’s defy the voters. Instead they bought the rope, drew it long enough, and proceeded to hang themselves. Nigel Farage had little to do with that.
Wasn’t the eternally Euro-sceptic Jeremy Corbyn supposed to lead the charge? The adherent to the philosophy of Foot, of Benn, The Labour Party proceeded to walk the proverbial middle road and ended up getting hit by traffic coming from both sides.
Corbyn took the mast and proceeded to chart this ship of fools through choppy waters and drowned himself. A ship whose crew included Blair-Labour coalitionists, Corbyn-Labour socialist reformers, Remain members clamoring for Leave voters to buy their glib arguments, liberals masquerading as leftists, peace campaigners and hawkish warmongers. They all helped sink the ship and this version of Labour, at least Jeremy Corbyn’s version of it, is dead in the water.
Corbyn started off walking the middle road rather skillfully, allowing the Conservatives to muddy their own messaging so effectively, that he could have played a masterstroke in gathering up votes that were there for the taking. But he wasn’t calling the show, and his impotence in doing so may cost him.
There is a veritable rogue’s gallery circling the wagons around Corbyn, assigning him blame for their lackluster results after the European Elections. His number two, John McDonnell, joined up with Labour’s disloyal deputy leader Tom Watson, leadership hopeful Shadow Foreign Secretary Emily Thornberry, and Shadow Brexit Secretary Sir Keir Starmer QC, demanding Corbyn throw all his weight and unequivocal support for a new referendum. With Labour campaigning for remaining in the EU what is Corbyn now to do?
The millions of working class Labour-inclined Brexit supports all over the country are watching his next move. Farage won every region in England and Wales except London, and did so by not abandoning those very millions. Will Corbyn now listen to them? Especially in Wales, the English midlands and the north? This is the British version of the rustbelt that propelled Trump to the White House.
Or will a lighter shade of Communist red be thrown out, instead led by someone with a little less baggage? Someone who wanted this particular Marxist thrown out of their party a lot longer before the results came in last weekend?
Corbyn rode to the top with the campaigning verve and splendor of Trump, a Bernie Sanders even, but unlike Trump he never stuck to his values, fought his corner when he needed to; instead he appeased his enemies, allowed accusations and news to dictate his next move. Considering he would not meet Trump when he comes to Britain, perhaps he should have taken the opportunity to brush up on what a real leader should act like when it comes to staring down those who want to stab you in the front and the back.
Nigel Farage and the Brexit Party have seen this day coming, they have known the tide would turn and the road now leads to full withdrawal from the European Union; there is only one way, and it will require bravery and political skill. The election results made it abundantly clear that neither Jeremy Corbyn nor Theresa May are possessed of either.