Meeting held on Monday 20th December on Zoom
Nine people were present. Apologies were received from nine.
This meeting took the place of the Winter Party, which was cancelled as a defence against the spread of Covid19.
The massive Tory defeat in the recent by-election in North Shropshire was reflected upon from different angles. It was thought likely that many Labour voters voted tactically, although we were not aware of any agreements with Lib Dems. Such tactical voting would be a very positive development in a general election, but people might behave differently in a general election.
100 Tory MPs recently voted against the government’s regulations to protect against Covid19. We wondered how bad this was for Johnston. With recent sleaze, parties in Downing St, etc., there was beginning to be a turn against Johnston. Was this because of Johnston’s personal qualities of untrustworthiness, or were people concerned about his policies? Or were his person qualities and his policies both symptomatic of his corrupt concern only for himself and his pals or his class.
But if Johnston was deposed as Tory leader, would his replacement be any better? Perhaps we would be better off with a bungling idiot leading the government, and then losing the next general election, than with someone who would be more able to implement the inherently reactionary policies of the Tories. Liz Truss seemed a likely candidate. Her right wing ideology was reflected in the recent publication ‘Britannia Unchained’ which she co-authored.
Policy is rarely mentioned in the media except regarding Covid, which totally dominates the news. Thus the problems of implementing Brexit have been hidden by a Covid smokescreen. Once (if?) that is over, how will the public respond to the apparent abysmal consequences of of Brexit. Will it lead to a return to a much closer relationship with Europe, with many of the features of EU membership (acceptance of European Court of Justice, of Free Trade arrangements), but just not called EU membership?
We also considered Lord Frost’s resignation as further evidence of Brexit failure, divisions within the Tory party, and the reaction of farmers and fishers against Brexit.
Arrangements for our next meeting on 17th January will be decided nearer the time.