The real trap is in playing the establishment’s games, writes John Rees

The ruling class can sniff a solution to their crisis emerging. The crisis has always been defined by the fact that the overwhelming majority of corporate Britain wants to stay in the EU but their normally reliable political tool, the Tory party, has been captured by hard right Brexiteers.

Usually this problem would have been solved by using a right social democrat Labour Party leadership to deliver for big business. Corbyn’s leadership blocked off that route.

So, even though there was a majority of MPs against Brexit, party loyalty prevented them from expressing the establishment view effectively in the Commons. Hence the severity of the crisis.

But with Labour becoming a fully Remain party, and with the emerging proto ‘national government’ pact with the opposition, the establishment sense a way forward.

Here is what it is: they get what they want, staying in the EU, and delay what they don’t want, an election that may produce a Corbyn government. They’ll lengthen the delay if they can, and try and manipulate events to produce an actual national government if they have to.

And all the while the story that some on the left swallow is that this is the height of tactical genius when it is really just playing the establishment’s game. That’s why the press has suddenly got kinder… but the Labour leadership just proudly go on about acting in the ‘national interest’ seemingly having forgotten this always really means in the interest of capital.