‘Nothing has changed’. The continued mantra of British politics for the last three years has been one of stasis.
Opposition parties hardening their resistance to the Prime Minister’s deal. Parliament either unable or unwilling to say what it wants; only what it doesn’t. Theresa May unyielding in her ‘red lines’ – damaging both to the country, and to her politically, as it becomes clearer they are undeliverable and unwanted.
No longer. The Prime Minister’s statement last night was notable for several reasons. Firstly, having led the press and public up the top of the proverbial hill before, she finally had something of note to say.
She (looked like) she was taking no-deal off the table, and admitting that the UK will need another, potentially longer, extension.
But mainly, it was because the Prime Minister’s red lines for her Brexit deal have finally, apparently, appeared to have vanished. She offered to “sit down with the Leader of the Opposition and try to agree to a plan we would both stick to”.
Tory backbench opinion was nothing short of apoplectic. Fear was the overriding feeling on Labour’s side today, at the obvious political minefield of facilitating a broken Government’s broken Brexit.
This begs the obvious question, what should Jeremy Corbyn – potentially the most powerful opposition leader since World War II – demand from the Prime Minister?
Firstly, he must continue with his calls for the Prime Minister to unambiguously face down her backbenchers and say that a no-deal would be catastrophic. As Lord O’Donnell, the former Cabinet secretary for Blair, Brown and Cameron - said on Wednesday morning, pretty much everyone from businesses to economists and most politicians acknowledge that a no-deal would be disastrous. Using is as part of an elongated form of chicken with the public is irresponsible, and more to the point, it hasn’t worked.
Secondly, he must demand that the Prime Minister should ask the EU27 for a much longer extension of Article 50. Crucially, this must then give Parliament and the public the opportunity to properly analyse in detail, a number of alternative Brexit deals. This period of time must be long enough for a democratic event, in particular a public vote.
Finally, Corbyn must make clear that any deal agreed, is only done so on the basis of a confirmatory public vote.
Partially, this is because Labour members like myself would not accept anything otherwise, and nor would the wider party. When the overwhelming majority of your MPs, members and voters are all uniting behind a public vote, it is obvious it would be unwise to not listen.
But, perhaps more important than the future of the Labour Party is that of the country. Huw Merriman (a Conservative MP who this week came out in support of a People’s Vote) was honest on this point: “no matter what is agreed in Parliament, one group of people will cry betrayal at another”. The only way to bring the UK back together again is for clarity and closure, which can only be achieved through a public vote. Once the public have taken a view, based on a clear choice between whichever deal is decided, and staying in the EU, we can all move on together.
The next couple of days will shape the next couple of decades for young people and students across the UK. Through groups like For our Future’s Sake - of which I’m proud to have co-founded – we’ve ensured that young people’s voices could no longer be ignored. It’s had a big impact, not least on the Labour Party, who rely so heavily on our support.
Labour’s path to power is clear, as is the right way forward for Jeremy Corbyn over the next couple of days. Only by ruling out no-deal, ensuring that any extension is long enough to properly evaluate any Brexit Deal and that when a deal agreed, it is put to the people, can we finally move on as a country.
Richard Brooks is a Labour activist and co-founder of For our Future’s Sake