When I got up yesterday and saw the result in
Richmond Park I whooped and played Ode to Joy. I had been
pessimistic. Out canvasing for Sarah Olney I had spent some time
talking with one remain voter who thought Brexit would be a disaster
but hated Olney making the by election about Brexit - “the
referendum was so divisive”. Having had “traitor!” shouted at
me while campaigning for remain, only days after the murder of Jo
Cox, I sort of sympathized. But if many remain voters felt like that
then Zac Goldsmith was safe. But hope trumped over fatalism in
Richmond Park and Britain staying in the EU is back on the agenda.
Richmond Park was a Liberal Democrat victory but it
wasn’t just a Liberal Democrat victory. Pro-Europe activists from
across London came to help some helping the LibDems directly some
working with Vote for Europe. The Greens stood down in Olney’s
favor and even though the Labour Party put up a candidate many
members disagreed to the extent that their candidate got less votes
than members.
I’m not naive. I can see that any expression of
gratitude for all that help doesn’t suit a party determined to
claim momentum. It also makes sense for a party that hopes not just
to win in areas that voted remain but to regain lost seats in Brexit
voting areas are going quickly pivot calling the Richmond Park vote
as not a vote for Europe but against “hard Brexit”. However lets
call this out for what it is - dog whistle politics even if not as
nasty a variety as that of Zac. Clegg and Farron are saying to
remain voters ‘we are with you’ but to Brexit voters they are
saying they are in favor of an improved Brexit. Clegg on Channel
Four even talked about “sensible”. Okay, I hit replay and
listening carefully I did hear “more sensible.” Sure, playing
Russian Roulette is more sensible than blowing your brains out with a
fully loaded revolver but there is nothing sensible about Brexit. A
“soft” Brexit will be an unstable half way house in which Britain
will still be adopting EU regulations but (where as now these are
voted by British MEPs) we will have not say. The Brexiters were
dishonest in claiming the regulations that are an essential part of a
single market are undemocratic but under soft Brexit that will be
true. A soft Brexit would only be acceptable as stop gap to give us
time to persuade the British people that we need to again become a
full member of the EU.
This does not apply to Sarah Olney who has committed
herself to voting against Article 50 under all circumstances.
Interesting the former MP for neighboring Kingston and Surbiton, Ed
Davey who used to be rather bland has, since he left the Westminster
bubble, found a harder edge expressing bitter opposition to Brexit.
And it was still the right decision for pro-Europeans to back the
Lib-Dems.
They are using pro-European Activists but we are
using them. Richmond Park blows away the fatalism the feeling that
there is no way of stepping back from the chaos that May’s
Brexiters are leading us into. We need that victory.
The point is that relying on political parties alone
will not stop Brexit. We need to be active in the pro-Europe
organizations and win the argument as to why the EU maters. Then,
when the political parties see the voters have moved, they will fall
into line.
