The conspiracy theory

I love a good conspiracy theory, and Brexit offers scope for so many. My favourite centres on party advantage, that Corbyn anticipates advantage for Labour when the UK crashes out of the EU, but that the people behind the Cummings-Johnson axis have thought further ahead.

Why has Corbyn swithered over Brexit? Apparently, it is to keep his party together, because his voters in Wales and northern England are seen to be Leavers, while those in the more prosperous areas of the country, especially his new, younger, members are ardent Remainers. Plumping for one side would antagonise the other. His own instinct is against the EU, but he could at least embrace the idea of a further referendum and submit to its verdict, which would pass off the responsibility for a decision.

But it is as if he deliberately wants to run the clock down so that the UK would enter a period of disorder and he could safely blame the Tories or the Liberal Democrats. The old Stalinist in him believes in the maxim attributed to Lenin, "Worse is better": communism would not follow capitalism naturally in prosperous societies as Marx believed, but that the proletariat would turn to socialism as a last resort only as the economy crashed around them. He would win a post-Brexit election in a landslide.

However, so far Cummings planning has been detailed and well thought-out. The real endgame, and why Johnson has also appeared to do nothing to prevent the slide to a "no-deal" Brexit is that UK under a Corbynite socialist government would be so dire that a right-wing coup was inevitable.

How far-fetched is this theory? We shall find out all too soon.