Being anti-HS2 is a bit like Brexit – It’s all about the rose-tinted past

A fellow blogger, Paul Bigland, has an interesting slant on HS2 and those who oppose it – see the link below to access it:-

paulbigland.blog/2019/03/06/stop-hs2-some-people-never-learn/

Brexiteers, it seems, can convince themselves of pretty much anything that has absolutely no foundation in fact and those opposing HS2 seem to have a similar viewpoint.

HS2 is about capacity or the looming lack of it on the rail network as much as it is about speed.

Although only similar in an abstract way HS2 is akin to reopening the Great Central Line; a line that should never have been closed, certainly with the benefit of hindsight.

Railways are becoming an increasingly important way for people and freight to move around and we are light years away from the Beeching era when closing railways and love of the motor car and truck marked a progressing society. Congestion all but brings the UK to a standstill often these days and pollution from the internal combustion engine is choking our communities and indeed killing us all.

HS2 is about the future of travel. Brexiteers want us all to live in the 1950s so they bang on about their anti-HS2 movement as they bang on about their ludicrous Brexit.

Want to stop Brexit? You’re not alone – Andrew Adonis in Ormskirk Saturday 23rd Feb’

Andrew Adonis a senior Labour party figure who is opposed to Brexit and all the harm it will create, indeed the harm it is already creating across the UK, is speaking tomorrow 23rd Feb’ at Ormskirk Civic Hall at 2pm.

Here’s a link which gives more information:-

www.europeanmovement.co.uk/lord_adonis_public_meeting_in_ormskirk?fbclid=IwAR0CA-8-5qZSP_l1Osporoa6Q5l8UkOe6Bu1nVzJM2wEqvfo1Y6fDISiPCo

Yes he tends towards tribal Labour in my opinion which makes it all the more fascinating that he is openly taking his own party leadership to task because they are still backing/enabling the Tories job loss Brexit.

Sadly, I can’t get along to the meeting as I’m otherwise engaged but please consider going if you, like me, think that Brexit is an utter disaster for the UK.

So where does Sefton Central MP Bill Esterson stand over Brexit?

My letter to the Champion newspaper following it publishing a photo taken by the MP in the ‘No’ lobby of fellow MP’s voting against Teresa May’s appalling Brexit Deal:-

*****

Dear Sir,

I notice that MP Bill Esterson photoed fellow MP’s in the ‘No’ lobby during the defeat of PM May’s Brexit Deal.

So whilst we know that Mr. Esterson does not like May’s Deal what Brexit solution does he like? I ask because to date I have contacted his office 5 times in recent weeks asking him to let me know where he stands over Brexit. Sadly, I have received no response at all.

Is it too much to ask your MP for their view on a matter and to expect a reply?

Yours sincerely

Tony Robertson

Stop Press – I think I am now up to 9 contacts – 6 by e-mail, 3 by Twitter. Could be wrong though, I’m losing count.

The letter was published in the Champion Newspaper on 13th February

So why are Labour members & supporters letting their party leadership back Brexit?

Labour voters stack up like this over Brexit:-

And just look how badly Jez Corbyn is doing in terms of the most recent approval rating:-

Just 17% Approve of him – 72% Disapprove – That’s a score of minus 55!

The two have to be linked, don’t you think? Yes, we all understand that Corbyn is a life-long anti-EU person because he thinks it’s some kind of capitalist conspiracy yet by enabling Brexit he is actually helping the far-right to get their way and trash our economy, living standards, employment rights and much else.

The big question is why are Labour members & supporters letting their leadership get away with doing the exact opposite of what they believe to be right?

I understand that loyalty to The Party is everything in the Labour Party and that it goes back all the way to the trade unionists who founded it but Brexit is putting at great risk many of the advances that the trade union movement has fought for and won! Sitting back and letting the present Labour leadership have its way is akin to Labour members and supporters voting for UKIP and far-right Tories for goodness sake.

What’s the point of being loyal to The Party if all you are doing is helping the far-right?

As a life-long trade unionist and someone who considers themselves to be well to left on the spectrum of UK politics I despair, I really do.

Please click on the graphic above to enlarge it

Brexit and Sefton Central Labour Party

I hear that Formby Labour members voted for a 2nd Referendum recently. Not sure how comfortable or indeed uncomfortable that will make Sefton Central Labour MP Bill Esterson.

I also understand that at a meeting in Aintree on 15th February that the Constituency Labour Party will be debating a similar motion.

I’ve been trying to find out what the MP’s views on Brexit are but 5 e-mails to his office have so far not brought back any answers.

I’m guessing that as the MP is a Shadow Minister in Corbyn’s team that he will be compelled to take his lead from his leader and we all know that Corbyn is a committed Brexiteer.

It will therefore be interesting to see what the CLP does. Does it follow the lead of its Formby members and call for a Peoples Vote thereby potentially putting its own MP in an embarrassing position or does it play it safe and back a Corbyn Brexit?

I imagine that such issues are live across the CLP’s throughout the UK with Labour being so split over Brexit. Having a Brexit leadership in the House of Commons but a membership which is vastly Remain by conviction must be a tough if not impossible square to circle.

When the Lib Dems started calling for a 2nd Referendum on the final deal, with an option to Remain, now quite some time ago, it then looked like the campaign would be just a Liberal one. How things change with many prominent Labour, Green and SNP members and MP’s joining what is now a genuine cross-party movement. Why even some prominent Tories are backing a Peoples Vote.

However, when the matter was recently debated on Sefton Council Labour & Tory councillors were firmly against backing a Peoples Vote/2nd Referendum. My posting from November 2018 refers:-

tonyrobertson.mycouncillor.org.uk/2018/11/16/old-political-chums-band-together-on-sefton-council-to-block-peoples-vote-on-brexit/

Brexit is the biggest political issue of our times and it is tearing our two big political parties apart, so when push comes to shove which side of the fence will the Sefton Central Labour MP be on?