Labour without a clear stance on Brexit
Britain's Labour Party has backed its leader Jeremy Corbyn and rejected a plan to commit to campaigning all-out for the UK to remain in the EU. The party, which as a result still lacks a clear stance on Brexit, wants to wait for a second referendum before committing to a position. Is this the right strategy?
All quiet in the political centre
The Labour delegates' decision to back Jeremy Corbyn's stance on the Brexit is only seemingly a victory for the Labour leader, De Volkskrant stresses:
“Corbyn clearly has no intention of denying his Eurosceptic principles or of annoying the working-class voters who voted for Brexit. So Labour is positioning itself at the centre of the Brexit debate. ... But the problem for Labour is that the Brexit debate is so polarised that it has become quiet in the political centre. In the polls the party now stands at just 22 percent.”
Finally bridge a toxic divide
It is politically astute of Jeremy Corbyn not to adopt a firm stance yet, The Guardian counters:
“Those who apparently will never be satisfied until Corbyn tattoos the EU flag on his face and camps outside parliament bellowing 'Stop Brexit' should consider that the culture war is ripping the social fabric of British society apart. Without an attempt to bridge a toxic divide, an ugly future awaits us all. If - in another referendum - leavers are left feeling like a defeated people presided over by a triumphalist conquering army, the UK will remain a tinderbox. Is demanding Corbyn campaigns passionately for remain, when almost the entire Labour party will do anyway, worth it?”