Ayesha Hazarika: Corbyn plays Jenga to builds a strong position on Brexit

Jeremy Corbyn like Ayesha went down a storm during an appearance at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Picture: SWNS

Poor Theresa May skulked off on a walking holiday (once a gentle middle-aged leisure activity which now strikes fear into the heart of political hacks) to Switzerland and then went to Italy where she was papped looking relaxed – in a startled, hunched-up, tense-faced kind of way – and got grief about her pink linen dress and untanned legs. Man, it’s tough at the top.

Corbyn then spent the rest of the summer visiting marginal seats around the country doing what he does best – being on tour and making speeches including an appearance at the Edinburgh Fringe. He and I have more in common than people realise. Labour wanted to build on the momentum (no pun intended) from the general election and keep the fire alive in the bellies of new and established activists. The election saw a new wave of campaigning and door-knocking which even old cynics on other side of the party grudgingly admit are critical to Labour’s political machine. The initial criticism of new Labour Party members and Corbyn fans were that they would go to meetings and rallies but wouldn’t get on the doorstep. This accusation was somewhat refuted by the fact that Labour turned out an impressive doorstep operation all over the country. The Labour Party is nothing without it’s army of members and activists and prides itself on its ground operation regardless of who is the leader. New members are often met with some suspicion by the right of the party, but when it comes to policy issues, particularly Brexit, the membership could be useful. The leadership of the party prides itself on having a closer connection with the members and wants their voice to be at the top table and influencing key decisions. Corbyn was proud that the popular Labour manifesto was not just special advisers in a room making things up but was shaped by what party members wanted. And there were substantial compromises that even he had to make to satisfy the will of the party members such as renewal of Trident, even though Corbyn has been a life-long opponent.

And it looks like he has compromised with his members and MPs on the issue of Brexit. Having sacked people he actually liked for voting against leaving the Single Market a few months ago, the party has moved into a much more sensible position of the UK remaining within it and the Customs Union for a longer transition period – around four years – before we finally leave the EU.

This is sensible, savvy, grown-up politics. Maybe it was spending time relaxed and secure over the summer with members who were no doubt expressing their concerns about a hard Brexit and the harm to the economy. Maybe it was the fact that MPs like Chuka Umunna, Heidi Alexander and Alison McGovern are launching a member-driven campaign to encourage them to raise the issue at conference and put it to a vote. Maybe it was the fact that every trade union, business leader and pesky expert is saying that a stabilising transition period is the best way to proceed. Maybe he twigged that he could gain a tactical advantage over the Conservatives who are more divided and could case them trouble with key votes in the autumn. Maybe he just saw sense and saw that there was an obvious political sweet spot which makes him popular with his party, MPs, trade unions and Remain voters that he would be mad to miss especially in the run-up to conference season.

Credit is due to Keir Starmer, the Shadow Brexit Secretary who crafted the position and persuaded the leadership to move. I understand that Corbyn ally Shadow Foreign Secretary Emily Thornberry was brought in to help broker an agreement. They will have definitely made the case about the battles in Parliament ahead and the pressure Labour could place on Theresa May. It gives Labour crucial definition in parliament and allows them to function as proper official opposition – which will also help Corbyn across the despatch box at PMQs.

Whatever the reason, it is a relief that Labour has adopted a position after months of faffing about and mixed messages. Now of course this new position still won’t mean everyone is happy and the ultimate destination point is that Labour accepts the referendum result and that at some point, we are leaving the EU. Labour’s clever new position is a transitional arrangement to stop Corbyn’s political capital going over a cliff edge at conference.

Chuka Umunna and those who oppose Brexit will still push for us to stay within the Single Market forever or for a second referendum and Brexiteers like Kate Hoey, Frank Field and indeed many Labour voters who voted Leave but felt Corbyn was on their side will feel anxious that this is all a ruse and that the will of the people will be denied. The new position still sits gingerly in the middle. There are no easy answers on Brexit. The country is split and there are strong passionate views on both sides. Labour’s position is about as good as it gets without sticking two fingers up to the result.

I was a Remainer but to deny democracy leaves me uneasy, although the thought of making a historic blunder also sickens me. But let’s be honest, this new position is also an impressive piece of standard compromise, political Jenga or triangulation even the most hardened New Labour spinner would be proud of. Even in this era of new politics, old habits die hard.