Kmflett's Blog

Jo Cox 10 years on. A morbid symptom of Brexit Britain

Gramsci wrote in the Prison Notebooks of the morbid symptoms that appear when the old order is dying but the new one cannot be born.

The murder of Jo Cox MP on June 16^th 2016 was certainly a morbid symptom. The murderer had long term connections to violent hard core fascist groups something which some of the media rather predictably tried to ignore. Instead they emphasised mental health problems (quite possibly inadequately dealt with by an underfunded NHS) but there is no particular or obvious connection between that and murdering an MP.

The Brexit Referendum took place one week later on 23^rd June 2016.

There is no reason to despair.

Yes Farage, the Tory right and the gutter press whipped up racism and division in society for their own ends ten years ago and continue to do so. Farage in particular looks increasingly like someone playing to the fascist gallery.

There isn’t much evidence to be gathered that this plays well to younger generations in Britain who, on polls, are more tolerant on issues of race, sex and sexuality than earlier generations. This is the Britain that is struggling to be born and to find a political voice. Ten years on whether in support for Palestine or Green and left politics it is finding one, as the old order continues to fade.

Of course there are young people who are bigoted and there are old people who are tolerant if grumpy (it comes with age). I’m 70 this year and no one I know in a similar age bracket is a bigot. Then again of course I’ve spent a life on the left.

Remembering Jo Cox and here murder ten years underlines the importance of organising and building a new politics and opposing the racist and fascist politics that led to her murder.