The last of the People’s Brexit Brigade, Counterfire, attacks John McDonnell and Left Internationalists.

Still Crazy for a People’s Brexit: John Rees and Lindsey German with friend.

Don’t overestimate Boris Johnson…

John Rees, today, on the site of the groupuscule Counterfire, which runs the People’s Assembly (which held an ‘anti-coup’ rally a couple of days ago – who distinctive sectarian message was drowned out by the internationalist anti-Brexit clamour) and the Stop the War Coalition.

Rees is now keen to stress his own faction’s distinctive politics.

Some, like John McDonnell, seem to have become such fervent converts to the EU that they think that Brexit is more important than getting rid of the Tories. This is a mistake.

…

This is indeed a problem, and one of the Labour leadership’s own making. If they had not tied themselves so completely to the Remain bandwagon they could have appealed to Leave voters more convincingly and undercut Johnson, especially in the wake of the crisis over proroguing parliament in which the prime minister’s Machiavellian plan ended in shredding his credentials as a democrat.

But when the shift to an unequivocal Remain policy took place a while back we were told that it would unlock a huge reservoir of support for Labour. If the polls are to be believed that simply hasn’t happened.

…

On Brexit Labour should stress that it will negotiate a People’s Brexit, its unwisely abandoned original policy, and put that forward as a realistic alternative to Remain. That would cut the ground from under Johnson’s appeal to working-class Leave voters.

Unkind people may suggest that the conclusion to this puffery just about sums up the politics of Rees and his mates in Counterfire.

The Bullingdon Boys have got by all their lives on bluff and bluster.

Like their mate, this posturing puffer:

Tariq Ali: we need a general election now but it can’t be about Leave and Remain #ToriesOut pic.twitter.com/oyBIaWM4SS

— Feyzi Ismail (@phaisie) September 3, 2019

 

Looks like Tariq has more than a soft spot in his head for the Leavers…

At the People's Assembly protest, Tariq Ali pointed out that the "EU is where neo-liberalism began and still exists" (to muted applause).
Also praised Bob Crow & then reminded audience that "for 3yrs, Leavers have been denied 'their' democracy". The only person#brexit #democracy pic.twitter.com/lxdpk2PGcX

— Austin Williams (@Future_Cities) September 3, 2019

As a person of peace I would not endorse this language, but in view of their participation in ‘anti-coup’ rallies, some are now calling the likes of Rees and Ali, the Brexiteers’ fifth column.

No, they are the left-behinds, l’angleterre

As a person of peace I would not endorse this language, but some are now calling the likes of Rees and Ali, who spoke at the ‘anti-coup’ Rally, the Brexiteers’ fifth column.

No, they are the left-behinds, l’angleterre périphérique.

The coup isn't over – Johnson is now going to ignore parliament and refuse to extend Article 50. We cannot let him get away with it.

ALL OUT TO BUILD SATURDAY: lay siege to Downing Street at 2.30pm.#StopTheCoup pic.twitter.com/mUAEMrreN0

— Michael Chessum (@michael_chessum) September 5, 2019