03 November 2019

Tony Blair: save Britain by supporting moderate MPs

The UK is witnessing the infantilisation of British politics. The December 12 general election has been called to resolve Brexit but, if that is the question, it should be asked in a referendum, writes former PM Tony Blair in the FT.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s Brexit policy is a total fraud. In this sense, Brexit party leader Nigel Farage is right. Mr Johnson got his Brexit deal with the EU by selling out unionists and agreeing to a border in the Irish Sea.

Now comes the negotiation over Britain’s future relationship with Europe. There, we have the same dilemma as beset us over Northern Ireland. Do we want access to European markets, in which case the EU will demand a level playing field on tax and regulation; or do we want the “freedom” to go our own way with the economic costs associated with leaving Europe’s trading system. 

The Conservatives insist that returning them to office “gets Brexit done” but all it does is to begin the next phase. 

Labour, having failed to back another referendum, claims to be fighting the election to have one afterwards, claiming it can negotiate a better deal with the EU which it will then put to the people. But it cannot say if it would support its own deal in that referendum. 

The Tories do not deserve to win a majority, and it is profoundly against the interests of the country if they win a big one. Yet that is possible because of a split opposition and Labour’s strategy. Mr Corbyn’s campaign launch speech attacking “dodgy landlords”, “billionaires” and a “corrupt system” is textbook populism. It is no more acceptable in the mouth of someone who calls themselves leftwing than in the mouth of Donald Trump’s right. [...]

There will be many voters who distrust Mr Johnson, fear Mr Corbyn and who do not think the Liberal Democrats can form a credible government. 

Two criteria should guide their votes. One is naturally Brexit. For those whom getting a new referendum is determinative, there will be a lot of help available with tactical voting to prevent a Conservative majority. But the other factor is also important: we need to get into parliament many reasonable and capable politicians of all parties who will not spout populism. We need people who will put reasoned argument before ideology and understand that democracy is about regarding opponents as people with whom you disagree, not enemies. 

This is a moment to judge the calibre and character of individual candidates carefully. There is a core of good Labour MPs who will not be whipped into supporting policy they do not believe in. They deserve strong support even from those not inclined to vote Labour. Parliament would be worse without the Conservative independents. If this parliament has shown anything it is that independent-minded MPs can make a difference and work constructively together. We need that spirit in the new parliament. [...]

Full article on Financial Times (subscription required)

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