It’s clear the battle lines for the coming general election are now being drawn. It’s my view that this election should not be purely about Brexit.

The country needs change and the election will represent a ‘1945 moment’ for the country. A progressive outward looking reinvesting Government under Labour, saving our NHS, schools, building houses and renationalising water, electricity, Royal Mail and the railways. Or more of the same failed policies of the Tories and their LibDem bedfellows. This is a once in a generation opportunity to define the type of country you want.

The country has so many issues that need resolving; from workers pay to the NHS, through to education, homelessness, and housing. Our schools in Wyre Forest are still £2million short of the money they need. All of these things are in deep crisis, and neither the Tories or LibDems have any real answers for these problems, they are just different sides of the same pro-austerity, neo-liberal, corporate tax dodging elitist coin that lead to the global banking crisis that crashed the world economy in 2008. Don’t let them kid you that they are on your side against the establishment, they ARE the establishment. Comedian Alexi Sayle summed it up perfectly last week when he said “austerity is the idea that the global banking crash was caused by Wolverhampton having too many libraries.” It gained a lot of traction did that simply put analogy. We are still paying for a crisis made in Bank’s boardrooms who are back to business as usual.

Tory spending promises, and that’s all they are, promises, only give back 25% of what they’ve already cut over a 3 year period. Cuts that have put our public services in free fall and economy teetering on the brink of recession. Boris Johnson’s promises are worthless, he’s a proven liar. Jo Swinson of the LibDems seems to switch policies to suit whichever audience she is trying to appeal to. Neither can be trusted to deal with the very real and very huge issues we face.

And that brings me to Brexit. The choice at the next General Election on that issue is this:

LibDem policy:
Stopping Brexit without a vote.

Tory Policy:
Imposing no deal without a vote.

Labour policy:
Negotiate a new deal, put that deal to the people to decide on along with an option to remain.

Conclusion: Only Labour have a way forward to unite this deeply divided country.

The country can’t afford a no deal Brexit, Wyre Forest can’t either with 19,000 jobs dependent upon EU trade; and simply revoking Article 50 completely disrespects the referendum held in 2016. If anyone thinks a no deal Brexit is a clean break, it isn’t, it will be the start of years of wrangling over trade, a surrender to the USA and its chlorinated chicken, selling off our NHS to US interests, and lost opportunities for our young people.

When the general election comes, the choice electors face is stark:

More of the same spin, lies and falling living standards under the Tories and LibDems.

Or real change, for the many not the few, putting more money in your pocket, giving you more control, rebuilding Britain, taxation according to your ability to pay, and rejecting the establishment stitch up.

Don’t expect the establishment media to do Labour any favours as we try and make Britain great again for the many not the few.

So, yes, we may live in what could be called interesting times….but Labour believes in Britain, and believes in giving our people the chance and choice to ring the bells of meaningful change.