Britain’s internal Brexit battle heats up
(CNS): Britain is heading into a tumultuous few weeks in politics as members of parliament from both sides of the political divide try by all means possible to stop the government crashing out of Europe on 31 October with a no-deal Brexit. Boris Johnson, Britain’s new prime minister, shocked the country last week when he decided to prorogue, or suspend, parliament for five weeks, seriously curtailing MPs’ ability to avoid a hard Brexit.
While the prorogation of parliament happens regularly, usually once per year, using it at such a critical time, which many believe was for the express purpose of limiting parliament’s ability to oppose government, is seen by many as being undemocratic.
Commons Speaker John Bercow stated, “However it is dressed up, it is blindingly obvious that the purpose of prorogation now would be to stop parliament debating Brexit and performing its duty in shaping a course for the country.”
The move led to protests throughout Britain almost immediately, which continued all weekend, and about 1.7 million people have already signed the petition ‘Do not prorogue Parliament‘.
The PM has suggested that by making such a dramatic move, he has more chance of getting Europe to re-negotiate the leave deal. But for Johnson’s hard-line Brexiteer government, this includes scrapping the controversial Irish backstop, which is the guarantee that a seamless border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland will be maintained.
Europe, however, remains adamant that any deal must include the backstop, and a hard Brexit seems increasingly likely. Meanwhile, the British government has already launched a Get Ready For Brexit campaign, which some reports say will cost as much as £100m.
Under the new timetable, parliament will meet on Tuesday and sit for just a few days before being suspended, ‘no earlier than Monday 9th September and no later than Thursday 12th September’, and not return until 14 October for the Queen’s Speech, which lays out government’s plans. This leaves very little time to manoeuvre for those fighting against a no-deal Brexit, which include Labour MPs and Liberal Democrats, as well as Tory rebels.
One possible tool to defeat the government’s plans is to pass legislation compelling the government to extend Article 50 of the Treaty on European Union, which some MPs believe is still possible within the time frame. But even if this gets through the Commons, it will still have to go through the House of Lords, where pro-Brexit peers could filibuster debate, and then has to receive royal assent before 9 September.
However, the government has indicated that, even if they do manage this, it may not abide by such legislation, and Johnson has also threatened to block any Conservative MPs who vote for it from standing for the party in the next general election.
MPs could also bring a vote of no confidence in the government, which if passed would bring in a caretaker government, if it can prove it has majority support in the House of Commons, followed shortly by a general election.
But deciding who would lead the interim government has become another stumbling block, as there is no clear choice. It is unlikely that Tory rebels will vote for Labour Leader Jeremy Corbyn, who is the leader of the opposition, to move into No. 10 Downing Street in the run-up to an election, but several moderate Tory and Labour MPs who have been suggested may not win the support of the Labour leadership.
There are also several moves to stop Johnson’s prorogation plans via the courts: one in Scotland, one in Northern Ireland and one in London, for which former Conservative Prime Minister Sir John Major is joining forces with anti-Brexit campaigner Gina Miller to oppose the current Conservative PM.
While Brexiteers are divided as to whether a no-deal Brexit should be on the cards, those in the cross-party efforts to stop crashing out of Europe are equally divided, with some wanting a second referendum and others wanting a new deal with Europe.
With this controversial prorogation of parliament, Johnson appears to be gambling that by boxing in both Europe and his foes in Westminster, he can emerge with a Brexit deal that everyone will have to agree to in order to avoid a looming no-deal Brexit.
But if he fails, he will be the prime minister who crashed Britain out of Europe and be held responsible for whatever follows. Leaked government documents predict that this will include a period of food and medicine shortages, chaos at the ports and rises in prices.
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Category: Politics, UK, World News
Trump in Washington, Putin in Moscow and now ‘BJ’ Johnson in London. The lunatics really are taking over the asylum.
FYI CNS, Boris was the person who backdoored this payment – https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2707090/The-great-Sunshine-Squad-fiasco-Taxpayers-face-500k-legal-bill-Met-s-bungled-probe-Cayman-Islands.html
Total cluster****. It really makes me lose confidence in the country I was born in watching this fiasco.
The harsh reality is that the UK isn’t alone in wanting to get out. My ex is French and her family always despised the Euro. In 2014/15 I traveled through Germany and Holland, and anti-EU feeling was running high back then. One event I attended in Germany wouldn’t accept Euros – they were still trading in D-Marks! In Holland they apparently have a bail out plan to revert to the Guilder, the currency is being held in storage ready.
It’s like a deck of cards balanced on the edge – one good push and it all folds. After what just happened in Italy (check it out) I’m looking forward to that push.
Total fabricated bollocks.
brexit referendum(and trump election) results proves that not everyone deserves a vote.
people that disagree with you, you mean? Mind you, that kind of attitude pretty popular in Cayman – people who disagree with the port apparently not allowed to vote on it either if Alden has his way.
not people that disagree…but people who are blind and easily lead…
Well you don’t seem to be getting off your butt and offering a better solution bobo
Really 9;17 am? But it’s ok for them to die in the millions in the trenches in Flanders or on the beaches of Normandy, the jungles of Vietnam or the wilds of Afghanistan or Iraq or wherever callous neo fascist condescending morons like you send them. I’m not sure if you can read but if so read, for example but there are many many more, ex Prime Minister Harold Macmillan’s views on these people you don’t think should be able to vote. He was “aristocratic”, brilliant academic career at Oxford, fought and was badly injured physically and mentally at the Somme in 1916. He wrote constantly and very movingly about the quality of the working men, working class men that is, that fought and died alongside him. Shame on you. Go back to your gated community, be it your residence or in your head.
?…read the op again and respond to the concerns expressed.
hitler was also democratically elected. when someone like trump gets elected you know the system is broken.
If a person is deemed (sometimes against their will) capable/eligible of/to dying/die for their country, then in our supposedly democratic system they MUST be deemed also to be allowed to vote. It is mind boggling to see someone post otherwise.
i doubt real heroes vote for trump or for brexit……thats a special kind of stupid.
What an amazingly arrogant condescending comment, 8:40am. I’m going to give you the benefit of the doubt and say that, rather than displaying, in addition to arrogance, stupidity of the sort you ascribe to others, you are just trolling.
The Trump election proves everyone deserves a vote. Hillary got 3 million more votes than Trump, however, thanks to the rural affirmative action system known as The Electoral College, Trump won. What needs to be changed is the Electoral College which is anti-democratic.
AMEN!
Someone from (Scotland ) said she named her dog Brexit. He goes to the door barking to get out. Then when she open the door he won’t go. I guess everyone is untitled to a Change of heart.
CNS: It was France’s EU Minister Nathalie Loiseau who named her cat Brexit.
Thanks, my apologies.
Thanks CNS
Clearly the British public were bamboozled 3 years ago regarding the pros and cons of leaving Europe. The Brexiteers won by only a 4 point margin. We now know that Russian “mis-information” was at play in social media and other information targeting voters in that referendum.
I have friends in the UK who are now not supportive of Brexit and I would bet that percentage has increased greatly.from 4%.
Now that not even the Government under 3 Prime Ministers can deliver what the country once wanted (or thought it wanted), it would suggest that general sentiments have changed. Why can’t Labour and other opposition parties call for a new referendum?
Can someone with good knowledge of UK politics please explain? Thanks.
CNS: The Labour Party has formally backed calls for a second referendum on Brexit; the problem was getting a majority in the Commons to support it. Complications abound and the Commons can’t seem to agree on anything. Not all Labour MPs are against Brexit and many other MPs across party line want a soft Brexit but still want to leave the EU. There’s also an issue with what the question would be – a simple yes or no to Brexit, or include one or more of the multiple options in between? Time is now an issue, as a second referendum would take a year or so to organise.
If Boris Johnson gets his way, he’ll push through Brexit one way or another, which will likely be followed by a general election. If the anti-Brexit MPs succeed in getting a caretaker government and pushing back the leave date, there will be a general election before Brexit. Either way, the only real issue on the ballot will be Brexit and the next government will be the ones dealing with it – Johnson would push forward, Corbyn would likely either call a second referendum or negotiate a soft Brexit.
It’s a hot mess but we’ll hopefully have a better idea of what’s going to happen over the next few weeks.
why should a new referendum be called ? the people voted and voted to leave, if a new referendum was called and remain won, what next ? another and another referendum????
the government just need to do what was voted for and those MPs that are trying to overturn it need to be deselected and ejected from parliament.
the original referendum was not for a no deal Brexit, all the Brexit campaigners branded anyone that warned it might lead to Britain leaving without a deal as alarmist and doomsayers. They claimed they would get a nice soft Brexit deal.
No deal Brexit was never voted for
Errr …. the referendum ballot paper said just remain or leave. Just as you say leaving with no deal was not on the ballot paper, likewise, leaving with a deal was also not on the ballot paper. Therefore, it is irrelevant to refer back to what was written on the ballot paper.
Not that I care, but as a neutral it does appear that the remainers are clinging on to this fatuous point about no deal as another means of delaying or stopping the result of the referendum being carried out. Seems an odd way of respecting the result of the referendum and promoting democracy.
The ballot paper just said vote to remain or leave, but the two main reasons for a yes vote was the belief that the UK would be saving this mysterious $350M per week currently being sent to the EU, which was a big fat lie. And for many, the hope that they would see a reduction in the number of people with different colour skin and accents from what they grew up with.
Many people will couch those reasons using a plethora of words and phrases because they are in denial that they are the least bit racist or xenophobic, but deep down they want UK to return to what they remembered in their childhood. Similarly, many Caymanians would like to return to what they remember of the 60’s and 70’s, but still retaining the relative wealth that they have today to purchase at yesterday’s prices, and sadly far too many of us would stand silent if it was suggested that it was time to get rid of some of those who came here way back when to help us build Cayman into what it is today.
Im sorry 9:46 but as all remainers seem to do, you are accusing all leavers of being racist. In doing so you are stopping freedom of speech which is what Stalin and Hitler did.
What the remainers in Parliament are doing is plain anti democratic. Why sanction and then have a vote if you intend to ignore the result anwyay?
What the protesters are doing outside parliament and in other cities crying about democracy is embarasssing. The majority vote winning is a core democratic principle.
It appears that remainers are adamt to silence their opposition but in doing so they are on a very short journey to stopping debate and conversation and only a few steps away from an authoritian state where only one view is accepted.
They proclaim themselves to be liberal and open minded yet do not accept any one elses opinions.
In any civilised democracy the majority vote wins. It then falls on to the Goverment to implement the result in the best possible way so as to maximise benefits and minimise costs.
Simply branding people nazi’s, racists, stupid or any other ‘ist’ is not the way and is a sure fire way to a very one sided debate and as far from impartial, fair and balanced as you can find yourself.
No one is disputing the leave issue. What is needed is a vote on what type of exit to have. I voted to leave but I certainly did not have the full facts in front of me nor were they generally presented by either party.
You know how easy it is to find out the truth? EASY. Try to do a little research on your own instead of blaming the inept politicians for playing you like a fiddle.
you seem afraid of another vote…why?
elections take place all the time…peoples opinions change…
Canada called 2 referendums on the possible break up of their country with Quebec. Scotland and Northern Ireland will certainly leave the U.K. if the U.K. leaves the EU. Why not another referendum on BREXIT and a referendum here on the port.
If one is so certain of a vote to leave BREXIT what are you afraid of?
How about people take their electoral duties seriously, find as much as they can on the subject and make their own decision whilst accepting that all politicians are liars and cheats? Assuming that people take the result seriously democracy prevails, otherwise you end up with the situations like they have in Zimbabwe, the Democratic Republic of Congo or better still for the remoaner ‘liberals’ the Democratic Peoples Republic of North Korea.
If you do it properly then you dont have to have more than one.
That said, I want to change my mind about the last few elections, can we we run them so i can vote differently?
you can sign a petition to re run the 2017 election here – http://www.rerun2017election.ru
and the one before that at:
http://www.changemymind.ru
just here…
Corbyn is not going to be prime minister. Brexit is now inevitable. You heard it here first.
With all of the liberal millenials flocking to Comrade corbyn i really would not be surprised to see him in number 10.
I really do not want to see that day though. They just dont understand what he is..animal farm and the pigs certainly spring to mind. Ruination for everything but the farm house.