Many years ago, when my political and physical bodies were in their prime, I was an active, vociferous, demonstrating, demanding, determined Socialist.
A member of the Labour Party, an election pamphleteer and door knocker.
The commitment to the core beliefs remained, which meant that, when Tony Blair arrived I departed.
And none of the ‘professional’ politicians that filled the Labour seats really inspired me to return. There was nothing to be seen but Tory-Lite, Tory-Soft, and Tory-style back-biting and in-fighting.
So, when a real alternative seemed to emerge, although by accident rather than design, and an interest and enthusiasm for conscience-based socialist politics dragged itself from our very own swamp, I was interested once more.
And so were many thousands of others.
And the more the professionals baulked, and the more the media protested at the unwillingness to play the old games, the more I felt enthused.
A real alternative. Substance over gloss. Socialism rather than sound-bite.
And, in general, that has been where the battle ground has been. On those issues where the majority require the help against the machinations of the power and the élite.
And, notwithstanding the media’s continued inability to acknowledge that there is another way to protest, and oppose; and information and opinion cannot always be encapsulated in a single sentence; the right points have been raised.
But, and it is the but that is giving me the most concern, is that the sections of society that are its natural constituency are also the ones that will be hurt most by Brexit.
And, apart from some welcome revolts within the parliamentary party, there has been the worst type of acquiescence.
I am sorry Mr Corbyn, but you are wrong. The battle doesn’t start now. It was during the referendum, and at every point after. It is to defend those who the Labour Party was intended to defend, against the stupidity and self-interest of the Brexit leaders.
Europe protects everyone, and the lower down the power pyramid, the more it offers. It is very imperfect, but it is better than trusting our own power brokers to do the decent thing.
The fight was and always will be for the truth, and the right to fairness.
You still have time to prove that you are actually in parliament to defend those that need defending, and not just for an intellectual exercise.
But the time is fast running out. For you, for the UK, and for the millions who will lose out.
And then duck. Because the domino effect will not be pretty.
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