Labour needs to confront real issues

LET’S try again to make the point as clearly as possible.

Boris took on the Brexit challenge. He and his party are responsible for anything that’s gone wrong. That is blatantly obvious. But it doesn’t get us anywhere.

Those of us desperate to see a Labour Party back in power carrying out socialist policies have a duty to do more than fire off a few predictable anti-Tory platitudes from time to time.

It disappoints me that this letters page has far too many contributions which fall squarely into that category.

I want to see a full analysis of past failings and serious proposals designed to facilitate a re-engagement with the party’s traditional base.

The utter madness of Labour’s fluctuating Brexit stance cannot be over-emphasised.

On the one occasion when the leadership constructed a sensible compromise position in the 2017 manifesto, things went surprisingly well and the Tories were denied an overall majority in the General Election.

But all was not well in the ranks as the second referendum wreckers went on manoeuvres.

The centre could not hold. Ugly anti-democratic sentiment became quite fashionable among the chattering classes. Many regular Labour voters felt demeaned in a wave of condescending rhetoric.

The final straw came with the Party’s stance on Theresa May’s deal with the EU.

We didn’t need any help from Farage and his mates to enable us see that it had the word compromise written all over it.

Labour were conflicted over what stance they should take.

A few brave souls commented on the surprising similarity between the deal and Labour’s official manifesto position. But the Brexit deniers led by leaderin-waiting Keir Starmer got their way and it was roundly defeated.

In the cool light of day, many of the party’s MPs and former MPs up and down the land now regret their failure to embrace this softest of all possible Brexits. And we are now living with the consequences.

Without truth and reconciliation there can be no genuine re-engagement between Labour and its traditional supporters.

Sadly, it appears the current party leadership prefers to bury the past rather than confront these difficult and contentious issues.

John Hodgkins, Seaton Sluice