Boris Crowned Makes Corbyn Kingmaker

Tomorrow we find out who the new Tory leader is. It's pretty much a given that it'll be Boris, but I guess you never know. I'm certainly just taking the word of everyone else. I haven't followed the details, more just the soap opera. In fact, it reminds me that when I regularly started posting on this blog it was to make predictions about the EU elections. I seem to have shifted in tone quite a bit since then, but I guess I may head back in that direction if a general election is on the cards.

I'm basically expecting a general election now assuming Boris wins. It really looks like he just won't have the numbers to command the house. I've heard some talk of the rebels in parliament coming together to form a government of national unity. I'm not sure if that's possible or how that would work. Likewise there's now talk that there could be a remain alliance between Labour and the Lib Dems if there is an election. To counter the possible Brexit Party/Conservative alliance.

So all this stuff really puts Corbyn front and centre. I would guess that he'd be the main obstacle to any such remainer shenanigans. There is talk that they'll get rid of him altogether and put a Tom Watson or Keir Starmer in charge. Again I don't really know how possible or likely that is. It does seem like all sides are now seriously wargaming the future scenarios though. This makes me fearful for the leave side as the remainers are simply much more Machiavellian. Corbyn could be their biggest obstacle, so it'll be fascinating to watch what happens.

Of course, if they ditch Corbyn they also ditch the Corbynite vote, so they're going to have to do some juggling. The Boris/Brexit Party alliance is a much more natural fit. Will the likes of Rees-Mogg be cunning and disloyal enough to truly ditch the remainer Tories though? You get the feeling the remainers on the other side would do it in a blink, but the leavers tend to play everything with a straight bat - "the law says we leave on the 31st, so we must leave on the 31st". The remainers say stuff the law and just engage in realpolitik. It's nice being on the honest team, but it's frustrating to watch the remain side lead the narrative.

They still haven't got rid of Corbyn though have they :)

(dreamz)