Luvvies rally

A strange appearance by the undead Lord Mandelson on Newsnight, which I only half-heard, was explained todfay by a Graud headline (in my edition):

Remain campaigners urge voters to unseat Brexit-backing MPs 

Apparently, the residue of the Open Britain Group (who had campaigned to remain) are calling for an ant-Brexit alliance to defend Remain Labour MPs in Leave constituencies, and unseat Leave MPs in Remain ones. T Bliar has a column urging this course in the Graun as well. Both are careful to say they are mostly supporting Labour candidates and not urging tactical voting -- so they can't be booted out of the Labour Party, although there is a petition. Tellingly, although the messages are identical, one is considered news and the other opinion.

Had it been the other way around, no doubt the BBC and Gaurundia would be declaiming the wickedness of further division and banging on about sinister unelected groups undermining democray to deselect MPs.

In all of these the alleged goal is to achieve 'soft Brexit' but this is never defined. Sometimes, it is a vague matter of keeping open as many links with the EU as possible. Blair defines it as a campaign against “Brexit at any cost” (nice and ambiguous) .Mandelson says the aim is demanding that 'a hard Brexit is rejected and making clear that they [MPs] will reserve judgment on the outcome until they see whether we get exactly the same trade benefits [as promised]' (leaving the door open for another referendum when the EU plays tough?). What is not clear is whether the position of the EU has altered -- no such thing as a soft Brexit they were arguing.

There is encouraging (for Remainers) evidence that opinion is still evenly split, according to a YouGov poll in the Indie, reported as giving 44% to each group on leaving or remaining in the EU,with 12% undecided. Actually the poll is about agrement with May's specified goals on Europe, and the same poll shows strong support for limiting immigration, which will still be the sticking point unless the EU budges.

There is still a worryingly valid claim by the Mandellair clique. May is using Brexit as an excuse to get a mandate for the austerity regime as well -- and diverting attention away from the looming elctoral expenses fraud cases affecting the Tories.