The decision by the government of the United Kingdom, resulting in a referendum that produced a 52%-48% decision in favour of departure from the European Union (EU) and the resignation of David Cameron as Prime Minister of the country, continues to provoke agitation in British politics. What had initially seemed to be a problem of British Conservative party politics, has now had its consequences within the opposition British Labour Party, with Leader of the party and the parliamentary opposition, Jeremy Corbyn, being accused of being lukewarm towards actively activating support for a strong position on Britain’s status vis-à-vis future relations with the EU.
As active campaigning within Britain has continued by various members of all three main parties (Conservatives, Labour and Liberals), with a view to advocacy of the government’s position, what seems to be a significant number of past and present Labour Members of Parliament have become concerned at what they consider a lacklustre or lukewarm stance of advocacy on the part of the Labour leadership, for reaching a beneficial relationship that would seek to preserve a certain degree of British influence in European affairs, even though the country might not be a full member as presently.
That concern has now been expressed by former Labour Leader Neil Kinnock, giving voice to strong criticism of what is considered to be Jeremy Corbyn’s attitude of ‘wait and see’, rather than one of indicating a precise position that the British government should advocate when the negotiations with the EU leadership fully commence.
Kinnock’s insistence that Corbyn’s attitude has been that of being “silent” and “soft voiced” on the central issues relating to promoting a solution to the negotiations that would retain a strong element of British influence, seems to now actively support the stance of those Labour Members of Parliament, apparently a majority, who would have wished to have seen a ‘remain’ vote in the referendum, and therefore a more proactive stance towards negotiating a favourable position of influence for the county.
Their visibility has now been enhanced by the decision of strong advocate of a continuing relationship with the EU, Owen Smith, Chairperson of the Labour Movement for Europe, to contest the leadership of the party against Jeremy Corbyn. On the face of it, with 53 nominations for the leadership as against 285 for Corbyn, Smith’s chances would appear to be very slim, and this is perhaps a reason for Kinnock’s early intervention, no doubt on the basis of an assumption of his retention of a substantial influence within the party.
So the substantial rumbling induced within the Conservative party by Cameron’s loss (speaking realistically) of the referendum has, in effect, roared into the ranks of the Labour party. The dismissal by Corbyn of Hilary Benn, party spokesperson on foreign affairs, has added strength to those opposed to his stance, though it is probably the case that Benn would never have been perceived by Corbyn and his supporters as a major supporter of his leadership. And now campaigners for the various sides have to await the special conference of the party called for September 24th.
As the situation appears to stand at present, hardly anyone in Europe appears to be able to predict a possible acceptable outcome of the negotiations, given that within the EU itself, there does remain a sentiment for the retention of some kind of British relationship, indicating to the wider world a continuing cohesion of European diplomacy, and therefore influence in the wider world.
What, in addition, probably needs to be taken into account from an EU standpoint, is that there remain relatively strong party-to-party relationships among the political parties of Europe, particularly among the socialist parties, that play a role in the determinations of political policies, depending on which of the parties is in office in the various countries. Although complicating these relationships is the fact that most of the European socialist parties have now well accepted the relevance and continuity of a European Union, as an international, as against an ideological, policy construct, as might have been felt to be the case in the early period of the establishment of the EU.
The nomination of Owen Smith, organizer of the Labour Movement for Europe in Britain, for leadership of the Labour party, suggests a greater pro-EU influence in Labour affairs after the strong efforts of Harold Wilson in an earlier era. Nevertheless, the present tensions within Labour, in a situation of apparent ambivalence on the part of its present leader, suggest, in turn, some still remaining hesitation about the role of Britain vis-à-vis the continent.
In effect, the next real test of this sentiment, will be the results of the negotiations between the British government and the EU.
