WITH all the false humility he can muster — which is a great deal indeed — Prime Minister Boris Johnson has been talking of the votes he received ‘on loan’ from former Labour supporters.
Attracted by the Tory slogan to “Get Brexit Done,” their protest against Labour’s disastrous move towards a “Stop Brexit” stance played a major part in deciding the outcome of this month’s general election.
Many such switchers have not suddenly become loyal Conservatives. They still agree with Labour’s policies for massive investment in public services, renationalisation of the railways and energy utilities, a substantial increase in the statutory minimum wage, a more progressive taxation system and much else besides.
There is nothing automatic about their voting choice in future elections: many could revert to voting Labour, or they could stay with the Tories.
All we can be reasonably sure about is that Brexit will not feature so large in the next general election, whenever it arrives.
That is why today’s Queen’s Speech was crafted with an eye to maintaining Boris Johnson in office for years into the future. He has no intention of handing a million or two working-class votes to the Labour Party.
Hence the populist appeal of many of the measures parroted by the monarch in the Palace of Westminster.
First and foremost was the pledge to push through a new Withdrawal Agreement Bill in time for Britain to leave the European Union on January 31 2020.
Like ex-PM Theresa May’s previous Bill, this will contain key features which the Morning Star has consistently opposed, including Britain’s continuing alignment with EU Single Market rules and the payment of an extortionate divorce settlement to the EU amounting to more than £30bn.
While this paper will continue to point out these and other deficiencies in the new Withdrawal Bill, Labour attempts to delay or defeat it could prove as counter-productive as they will be futile. MPs should, of course, seek to improve the Bill where this is possible. But the sooner the question of Britain’s exit from the EU is settled, the better it will be for all who want to pay more attention to other serious issues facing our society.
Here, in particular, Boris the ventriloquist put some superificially attractive words in his royal dummy’s mouth.
The pledge on cast-iron increases in NHS spending will please many electors. But too much of this money will go into the coffers of PFI providers and the “Big Pharma” drugs companies.
Headline-catching promises to spend more on schools and policing, while cracking down even harder on terrorists and other violent criminals, will also prove popular beyond the ranks of the traditional Tory hang ‘em and flog ‘em brigade.
Reform of Britain’s immigration rules will go down well in some Brexit and Tory circles. While there is no reason why mostly white Europeans should continue enjoying privileged entry and settlement rights here, the primary objective should be to produce a more humane and equitable system rather than one which merely serves the business interests of prospective employers.
It is in the world of work that Boris Johnson’s “One Nation” impersonation of Benjamin Disraeli already begins to come unstuck.
His royal address threatens to bring forward measures to “encourage flexible working” and to “provide for minimum levels of service during transport strikes.”
Thus the trade union movement has been put on notice that an enormous offensive will soon be launched against labour standards, collective bargaining and the right to strike, beginning but certainly not ending with railway workers and their unions.
The labour movement must now put aside all differences over Brexit, accept that Britain is leaving the EU, and unite to defend working-class interests against the Tory wolves in sheep’s clothing.
