I am of course delighted that the Labour Conference has backed Jeremy Corbyn’s eminently sensible strategy; and hopefully an election-winning one, if the Press’s incredible distortions – including even the Guardian‘s – don’t stymie him. (See https://bernardjporter.com/2019/09/22/learning-from-wilson/.) It will give me the opportunity to vote Remain in the promised referendum, but also relieve me of the feeling that we’ve been swindled – as we were in 2016 – if the second vote, taken on the basis of much better knowledge and a properly spelled-out alternative (Labour’s prospective new ‘deal’), goes against me. Best of all, however, it could cut the ground from under the feet of the (proto) Fascists, and so help to repair our democracy.
It seems such a rational approach that I sometimes suspect that much of the Right-wing Labour opposition to Corbyn’s programme arises, not from any consideration of its merits, but from personal hostility against him. In the case of the newspapers, of course, it’s clearly more self-interested, on the part of their rich tax-dodging and neoliberal proprietors. Which is not, of course, to impugn the motives of the more genuine and principled ‘do or die’ Remainers; who may turn out to be right, not only in principle (I agree with them there), but tactically as well. Who can tell?
Porter’s Pensées 
A middle way involving a second referendum, and then re-negotiation is clearly the best way forward so the internal opposition must be partly personal antipathy towards Corbyn. Some (many?) Labour MPs don’t think Labour will ever win an election under his leadership whatever his policies and polling supports that view at present for what its worth, and a the feeling they must satisfy those northern seats where large majorities voted to leave (again electoral expediency) The pity as ever is with Tories in disarray, Labour should once again appear so disunited and give the right wing press ammunition.
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Who can tell?
Well, there are polls which offer the best available – but hardly perfect – gauge of how the strategy is faring and the verdict is not good for Corbyn. Why, Bernard, do you ignore them?
For years, Labor (sic) in Australia ignored polls which persistently showed the unpopularity of its leader, Bill Shorten, compared to his more commanding conservative opponents. Unsurprisingly, at this year’s May election, the right-wing Coalition was returned, after Shorten offered a predictably dispiriting performance in the campaign. In this instance the polls should have been believed and acted upon. Sometimes political reality needs to be faced.
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