Labour looks nervous on Brexit but if Corbyn keeps young voters on board he can win the economic argument

Leavers defend the sanctity of democracy but attack free speech as unpatriotic. They hail Magna Carta but denounce the independent judiciary. They want to rid these islands of immigrants and expect countries around the world to queue up for trade deals, on the stipulation that their citizens will not set foot on British soil.

None of this is serious. They say they are preparing for battle, but everything all their words are for the consumption of the British electorate, not the EU.

Now we have Michael Gove talking of banning the EU from fishing in our waters, but our waters have been knackered for a long time. According to Defra, the total catch for EU vessels in British waters in 2015 was 10,000 tons, but elsewhere it was 1.4 million tons. British waters provide only 0.7 per cent of the catch amongst the few countries who fish there.

All the time that Theresa May said she was keeping her plans a secret, she was in fact keeping her absence of a plan semi-secret. If secrecy was her instinctive negotiating style then why did she inform the DUP that she was desperate to bring them on board for the Queen’s Speech before the talks had even begun? She’s supposed to be readying an army but is only concerned with her own reputation at home.

There is some concern over the position of the Labour Party on Brexit within the party and in the press. But, while the Tories are only speaking to the UK, Labour cannot rush their army forward for fear of the bloody consequence. So Labour refuses to be pinned down.

Labour’s only clear position is that the economy takes precedence. Since the economy will be affected by Brexit in any form, the Remain camp (myself included) can feel fairly confident that Labour simply refuse to engage their army on Tory ground.

The term “soft Brexit” has become a euphemism for no Brexit because we won’t be able to have controls over immigration if we have a soft Brexit and we won’t be able to protect the economy if we have a hard Brexit. It’s hard to believe that the Labour leadership seriously wants to pursue Brexit. Their vote certainly doesn’t.

Jeremy Corbyn spoke at Glastonbury, but it could be said that he didn’t win the youth vote, rather that they won him. Never in history has a section of society been so shafted as young people today, both by circumstance and by government decree. They are entering an economy where they cannot afford the astonishing cost of housing while simultaneously being landed with colossal student debt. It’s an undeserved punishment.

Many of the young discovered politics young through “clicktivism”, learnt about power in the referendum, then collectively set out to find a leader. They found Corbyn.

There is no doubt their love for him is genuine, but my point is that they are also ruthless. Nick Clegg discovered this when he was punished at the election. This didn’t happen in 2015, since the consensus hadn’t swept through their generation at that time. It happened in 2017, following the events I described above. Corbyn must be aware of this reality. Brexit is what turned them to politics and they will expect him to deliver.

Because the Labour leadership have been underestimated for so long, there has been little analysis of the way they handle the press. In the election, they brushed aside allegations that their numbers didn’t add up, because they didn’t want to move their army onto the landscape of Tory choosing. They would rather be accused of incoherence, but in control, than allow the other side an advantage. Both The Tory and Labour armies are now manoeuvring about the landscape, while the riflemen engage in skirmishes.

For example, John McDonnell was asked if he would co-operate with the government on negotiations and replied: “The Tories need to sort themselves, because when we get into government we will need an effective opposition.” He wasn’t avoiding the question, he was refusing to concede the higher ground.

The battle for Brexit is looming. The Tories are in a mess. I wouldn’t want to be on their side.

Labour look nervous, but there is steel in their nerves. I’m glad to be with them.