Battle of the Bores

The spectacle of Tory grandees in the TV hustings this week may boost their chances in the race to become leader of the Conservative Party and, by default, the next resident of 10 Downing Street. But whoever takes over from Mrs May is a matter of indifference to workers, who have no say in the decision-making process of the party that has been the political wing of the bourgeoisie in Britain for the last 100 years. That, however, is no longer the case.

Brexit has divided the ruling class down the middle, with those who believe British imperialism’s best interests are served by continued membership of the European Union (EU) in the Remainder camp whilst the Eurosceptics believe their future is better insured in an even closer alliance with US imperialism. This division was reflected in the close but decisive Brexit referendum result in 2016 and the split amongst the bourgeois media. But Remainers are a minority amongst Tory MPs and all the wannabee leaders are at pains to stress their Brexit credentials for the benefit of the faithful who ultimately will gift one of them the accolade when the all-members postal ballot takes place next month.

All of them, including the front-runner Boris Johnson, claim they will succeed where Mrs May failed. But all they have to offer are variations on two alternatives that have both been rejected by this fractious Parliament. There’s no majority for Mrs May’s “withdrawal plan”, which would keep Britain within the EU in all but name. Nor is there one for a “no-deal” Brexit, which was what most of us thought we voted for in the referendum in the first place.

The new Tory leader will achieve nothing apart from getting another extension of the withdrawal deadline from Brussels. The Eurocrats will play ball because it keeps us within the EU and buys more time to create the conditions for a second referendum. None of this is of any benefit to working people. There’s got to be another general election. The sooner the better.