I’m really scared about Teresa May getting her hands on Brexit.
In June 2016, Brexit became reality – and Sadiq Khan, mayor of London went into overdrive. Announcing to the world that ‘London Was Open For Business.’ ‘Our city and our country will continue to be the best place in the world to do business. And we will continue to look outwards and trade and engage with the entire world – including the European Union.’
We’ve had a million words on Brexit from Teresa May, but none of them have got to the heart of the matter. She hasn’t shown she understands, instinctively and passionately, what the absolute basics are.
The truth is that Sadiq gets it and Teresa May doesn’t. He knows it’s about jobs and co-operation. About people’s families, homes and kids. About ensuring they can keep a roof over their heads, put food on the table, and have a future.
Teresa May talks a great deal about ‘ordinary working people,’ but I have yet to see policies which help them rather than hurt them. That’s why I’m really scared.
Generally, I prefer not to use terms such as ‘big business’, ‘corporate interests,’ and so forth, but I fear, precisely because Teresa May has no idea where the heart of the matter really lies, she’s going to be heavily influenced by big business. Dazzled in fact. Business people are hardly the philosophers of the world, who want to build responsive relationships with their workers, who’re conscious of the wider social fabric and their impact upon it. Their understanding of the world is limited, as is Teresa May’s. They occupy the same world.
Everyone spouts ‘market forces’ as justification for workers often not getting what they should. As if ‘market forces’ are some divine instrument of business, before which we must genuflect and offer up human sacrifice.
A great deal is within our control if we know what we’re focusing on. We need a Brexit team which understands that fundamental principle.
I do believe that Labour has the right focus and a Brexit team which can negotiate with intelligence, and with the wide-ranging needs of Britain’s workers and businesses in mind. They’re not mutually exclusive, though I suspect that Teresa and her team think so. Else we wouldn’t have food banks – in one of the richest countries in the world. It really is shameful.
Here I should state that I’m not a member of the Labour party, or any other party.
There are businesses who are relocating to Europe, and there are business looking eagerly for easy pickings in England, knowing that Brexit has weakened us. The government should have gone into urgent consultation to see how they could facilitate the ability of businesses to stay here, thus keeping the backbone of commerce strongly in place. Which would have sent a warning message to businesses looking to come in and ride roughshod over us. Britain needs to deal with Brexit in a holistic manner, keeping in mind its workers and families.
However, I fear that a government which cuts school meals for infants, takes away winter fuel payments from pensioners and ends bursaries for nurses, has no idea how the heart of the country works. Or even worse, doesn’t care.
A successful Brexit will require the heart and mind to work together, a sophisticated understanding of complex and sometimes contradictory needs, but with an unwavering focus on the needs of Britain’s people: its workers, families, and its future prosperity. Teresa May’s Brexit vision is unclear and therefore suspicious.
I fear greater poverty, suffering and hardship for people. I fear that Teresa May’s Brexit won’t be for Britain, but for business.
Britain: this is an SOS. Use your vote to save us.
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