AT THE time of writing, the government via the inept Theresa May was still attempting to renegotiate its deal with the EU. At the same time this dysfunctional government was failing in its objectives of delivering trade deals. Indeed a far-reaching deal with China has been put at risk by the infantile bellicose statements harking back to imperialist gunboat diplomacy emanating from the Ministry of Defence.

Most recently Defra discovered that the country hadn’t got enough of the right sort of pallets to export and move foodstuffs. And there is “failing Grayling” who has gifted Eurotunnel £33 million following the award of a shipping contract to a ferry company that had no ships.

As a former PCS negotiator I am only too aware that this government and those senior civil servants that support it are, by and large, inept. It is evident that government failed to listen to those trade unions that stated that austerity had to stop and be reversed if there were to be enough skilled staff to do the necessary negotiations with the EU and other nations.

Its proposals on future immigration arrangements have been condemned by all as discriminatory and arbitrary.

May’s deal is in all but name a remain deal. This government failure will only serve to further undermine the political class.

Labour needs to be careful not to be tarred with the same brush, seen as delivering May’s Brexit or ignoring the popular vote. Supporting another referendum will put it in this camp. This is dangerous territory. More manoeuvres will take place but it’s now suggested that Labour will abstain on a government deal as long as there is a vote on the outcome.

Both the major political parties stated that they would honour the results of the referendum. Neither said anything that qualified this commitment. Both major political parties confirmed this in their 2017 election manifestoes. Both voted in the House of Commons to trigger article 50 and set a leave date of March 29 2019. Given these facts it was reasonable to assume that this is what would happen. But apparently not.

Since June 2016 we have seen a total vilification of those that had the temerity to vote to leave the EU. The leave campaigns have been accused of lying – no doubt they did, as did the remain campaigns. Leavers have been accused of being stupid, racist and old.

All three accusations can be debunked and have been. Now the same voters are being told that they got it wrong. That if there is another vote we will see the light and change our minds. This is the only reason for another referendum and of course the EU has form here — in Greece, Ireland, Belgium, Portugal and so on.

This situation is highly toxic. And there is a danger that the right will benefit from this toxicity, particularly at the time when left and liberal forces are split, with many wishing the clock could be reset and putting their faith in the myth of a “social Europe,” which has already failed many of its peoples.

Since its height of popular support in 2014 when Ukip achieved nearly 27 per cent of the vote to the European Parliament on an anti-EU ticket tinged with racism, the party has seen its support fall. In many ways it lost its raison d’etre after 2016. Gerard Batten its leader has courted the extreme right, recruiting anti-Muslim hate preacher Tommy Robinson to the ranks, and spoken himself at rallies encouraging Islamophobia, most recently outside the BBC in Salford.

In December Ukip, with the fascistic English Defence League, marched in London for Brexit. Farage, not outside of Ukip and courting slightly less right-wing supporters, is planning a march from north-east England.

It is therefore not a flight of fancy to state that the failure by politics to deliver Brexit will lead to a growth in support for such forces and street movements. Ukip in particular has moved to the right and will dangerously blend street and electoral politics.
A referendum will add to this toxicity.

Both main parties will be blamed, Labour possibly more so. It will have to convince the 61 per cent and more of those constituencies that voted leave that it can be trusted. A referendum based round May’s deal or remain will be seen as a means of ignoring the people’s vote and could lead to calls for a mass boycott.

The left must continue to make the case for a left Brexit. A general election, for left and progressive policies free from single market and custom union rules, investing in broken Britain, full rights for all workers, opposing military expansion, opposing racism, for popular sovereignty.

17.4 million people rejected the scare stories that voting leave would cause an immediate recession and a swing to the far right.
The promises made after the referendum should be kept.

Tony Conway convenes the anti-racist and anti-fascist commission of the Communist Party.