Many months ago, prior to the general election, I wrote something for Evolve asking the seemingly facetious question, "is Theresa May actually TRYING to lose this election?" Simply put, May and the Tory government seemed so reckless, so inanely incompetent, it was almost like they wanted to hand over the 'poison chalice' of Brexit, knowing full well it will be an unmitigated disaster. It was also the most popular theory in a poll of 7.5K people.
It seemed that theory was truly out the window, as obviously the Tories won. Kind of, any way. May clung to power like an angry toddler to a dummy, at any rate.
Many months have passed since then, and the difference in attitude towards the likelihood of Corbyn's potential premiership could not be more different. Almost ridiculously so. There are different angles to be found, but even the most ardent Tory mouthpieces are hinting it's likely JC will, or at least could, be our next Prime Minister.
Then, that went a step further. In the past 48 hours, I've heard 'announcements' on MSM morning TV programmes etc that some bookies predict he will be Prime Minister "before the end of the year". That Labour are "preparing for government" etc. Erm... even ignoring that's exceedingly unlikely unless the government somehow abdicates, it's almost like the powers-that-be are now trying to feed a different 'reality' into our collective subconscious. And again I find myself asking questions. I can't help it. Whenever I am 'fed' ideas, my brain forces me to look at the reasons 'why' I'm possibly being fed them. It's like chess. You don't just look at the piece moved by your opponent, but also what manoeuvres they're enabling for the others. You step back, looking at the entire situation.
Harsh Reality
Face it... Brexit is a catastrophe. It's already lashed our nation economically and socially on untold scale, and hasn't even happened yet. It's damaged our reputation globally (with anyone other than Trump's America that is), and anyone with a brain can see it makes no sense for us to tumble off a cliff like this. It seems utterly doomed. But that doesn't mean I don't think it's going to happen. On the contrary, the rich and powerful tax-dodgers who've engineered it all, I think, will see it through at any and all costs now. It seems unavoidable. 'Will of the people' and all that.
If the Tories were exceedingly clever and manipulative (and make no mistake, they are), they might theoretically recognise whichever government is at the helm for this sh*t-storm WILL go down with the ship. And possibly in perpetuity. After all, the British people will undoubtedly regret this 'decision', those of modest means will any way - when and if supplies from Europe are stopped and/or slapped with tariffs. When the little Englanders start to appreciate we produce little of our own, save for dodgy financial services the EU precisely wanted to restrict.
So a wise chess player might sacrifice the pawns, to save key pieces on the back line. What might that look like? That may just mean more daggers in the Conservative Party - that Theresa May will be made the 'fall guy', and a new monstrosity will gush forth from the Tory ether of hideousness. But, if Brexit is in fact ultimately doomed to be a disaster, it might also conceivably make sense for the Tories to allow responsibility for this grisly transition to fall into the hands of their beleaguered opponents. The equivalent of 'passing a turn' in a board game or quiz.
When a new government steps in, the status quo doesn't change overnight, and certain 'chess pieces' have already been moved. There's a knock-on effect. If Corbyn stepped in tomorrow, the DUP have already got their cool £1bn bribe, the small matter of Tory election fraud has already been swept under the table, and promises David Cameron made - such as enacting Part 2 of the Leveson Enquiry have been long forgotten. Countless matters decided under a near decade of Tory rule would simply be small-fry compared to the juggernauts Corbyn would have to tackle. Many would slip through the cracks. And when they did, his opponents would say: "look... he's failing."
In fact, it fits quite beautifully. If Labour don't prevent Brexit, and the whole country falls to ruin... and Corbyn has nothing left to work with other than an isolated bankrupt island at war with itself, economically crippled and globally despised? When the businesses have all fled elsewhere, but the British elites have adequately protected their interests, shielding their assets from accountability to the British tax-payer? Who will then be blamed? Who will then be the scapegoat? Many among the British people have already shown themselves to be inanely gullible, to swallow whatever nonsense they are told by their papers and TV sets. If those forces again set their sights on the new 'socialist experiment' in Britain under Corbyn as being to blame for the Brexit fallout, as opposed to the vicious capitalist protectionism that drove it, the British people WILL buy it hook line and sinker. The Tories would be back in power in a heartbeat, and the experiment would be over - a mere 'bump in the road'. Capitalist forces would again seize the reins, with even more gusto,
It's alarmingly neat.
Best Case Scenario
That's not to say I think it would somehow be preferable for the Tories to remain in power. The sooner they're out the better. But Corbyn needs to be aware they will unequivocally be planning for that turn of events, and what their next move will be. Now the obvious momentum is with Corbyn (pardon the pun), tactics will undoubtedly have changed - and someone, somewhere in the Conservative Party will now be thinking about the 'long game'.
Of course, if Corbyn does get into power, he could hypothetically pull the rug out from beneath them - by reversing Brexit. (If that's even possible now.) By allowing himself a chance to remedy the ills of this nation from a position of Britain having kept its economic integrity and security intact, he might ACTUALLY repair this country.
For me personally, I have always hoped - and will continue to hope - this is Corbyn's 'ace in the hole'. That even if he is Eurosceptic, he would not plummet this nation into potential financial and social catastrophe if he genuinely thought it imminent. That he's a man of enough modesty, he would put our actual interests ahead of populism and 'nationalistic pride'.
I'll keep hoping.
Featured image: 'Checkmate Satan' by Ry-Spirit.
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