Sometimes in politics, you have to play the long game, and this means adopting positions that are unpopular in their moment in the expectation that the mood will swing behind you over the longer temporal horizon and you'll benefit from it. Ironically Corbyn of all people, should know this. He's adopted plenty of unpopular positions and campaigns which history has largely vindicated him on. Brexit was crying out for exactly the same treatment, and since 63% of Labour voters, supported remain, he didn't have to perform somersaults to justify a position
When May screwed up the 2017 election (calling it was the right thing to do, calling a 7 week campaign was insane), but when she lost her majority the position we are in today was foreseeable. In fact it was very foreseeable. Corbyn should have announced a policy review in the summer of 2017 (not exactly unheard of in the wake of an election) and subtly shifted Labour onto a platform of a second referendum. He could have had this in place 12 months ago. He might have faced some criticism for being cynical and opportunistic for shifting onto a position of expedience, but he'd be in an incredibly strong position today had he done so
Even by as late as October last year he'd still have a stronger hand when the party conference adopted a very weak motion to keep the option on the table.
He's pretty much blown it now.
It probably ranks alongside Gordon Brown's decision not to call an early election in 2009 for political miscalculation.
Whereas Brown was playing with economic factors and greater uncertainty, Corbyn has failed to read a situation which was infinitely easier to work out, and which had a road map and timeline to help him navigate a path to victory. The reason he blew it of course is because his unofficial policy is to support Brexit but blame the Tories for the mess. He's calculated (incorrectly in my opinion) that he'll inherit from the fall-out. He won't. He'll be held to have been culpable
2017 was peak Corbyn. He did actually have a chance to advance beyond this highwater mark, but he's blown it
