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In Great Britain, Tom Watson, deputy party leader of the Labor Party, unexpectedly announced his retirement. He is not running for the parliamentary elections on December 12. His departure is considered to be the loss of moderate current within Labor.
Watson was the leader of the group against the intended British departure from the EU. With that he was also the opponent of party leader Jeremy Corbyn. He was seen by many moderate party members as the one who should control the fanatic left-wing Corbyn faction.
Tom Watson wrote in his letter of resignation to party leader Jeremy Corbyn & #8220; for personal, not political reasons & #8221; to step out of politics. Watson survived an attempt by critics in September to put him offside at a party conference. The 'Corbynists' wanted to completely abolish his position within the party. That motion was eventually withdrawn.
There is a lot of disagreement within Labor on the left about a possible exit from the European Union. Watson belonged to the wing that wants the party to take a pronounced antibrexit position, but ultimately lost that battle. His departure is labeled in the British media as a loss of the moderate Labor noise. British opinion leaders say Labor now runs the risk that the pro-European young voters will massively opt for the Liberal Democrats or the Greens.
Labor's official brexit position is less pronounced than that of other parties. The Corbyn party wants to throw the EU agreement from Boris Johnson in the trash and with the EU conclude another, smaller Brexit agreement. The outcome of such EU negotiations would then be submitted to the British voters in a referendum. They must therefore also & #8211; by rejecting such a Labor-EU agreement- get the choice to stay in the EU anyway. But it is not clear for which scenario party leader Corbyn wants to campaign, so the British voter still does not know where they stand with Labor.
Corbyn says his party is participating to win these parliamentary elections with its own Labor majority. He does not want to form a coalition with the LibDems or others prior to the elections. The front woman of the Liberal Democrats, Jo Swinson, said at the start of their election campaign that her party is not going to help Corbyn in power. Corbyn and Swinson did not say what their parties are doing if it turns out after the elections that no party has its own majority, and that a British two-party government will be needed.
Watson is by no means the only British politician who now turns away from politics or their party. Both in the Conservatives and in Labor there are dozens of members of parliament who no longer stand for election. Many of them denounced what they called a sick and hostile atmosphere, not only within their own political groups but also among voters and fellow party members.
Also within the EU haters under the former UKIP party and the Brexit party of Farage, an open battle has broken out and former allies and party members are being denounced and publicly humiliated. The figurehead of the Conservatives in Scotland also recently resigned.
John Bercow has pulled out of his country's planned departure from EU after his departure as British parliament president. He mentioned the brexit to foreign journalists & #8220; the biggest post-war error & #8221; from his country. Bercow had to remain neutral as chairman during the political crisis surrounding the Brexit. Brexiteers often complained that he took the side of their opponents. Bercow himself maintains that he was impartial as chairman. He stated that he defended the rights of parliament.
