It’s the start of another Brexit crunch week. Firstly and most importantly: today at 2.30pm the House convenes to pass that Benn Bill and to debate other demands from the parliamentary Brexit Wreckers. More on that below.
Of course, there’s that other item on the agenda: will the Opposition, Labour especially, accede to Johnson’s demand to call a GE now? It’ll be fascinating to watch.
The Labour Shadow Chancellor Mr McDonnell, a hard-core Marxist, reiterated Labour’s Brexit policy on the Marr show yesterday. You recall that the Labour Shadow Foreign Secretary Ms Thornberry was roundly jeered for her statement on QT that Labour would negotiate a new deal and then go for a 2nd referendum where she would campaign for Remain?
Well, that’s apparently Labour’s official policy, see this report., paywalled ones are here and here. What a fine choice Labour is offering: a 2nd referendum on May’s BRINO or Remain – just as we suspected May might do. There’s no difference in the establishment Parties when it comes to scuppering Brexit. Remember that for the coming GE.
Then there’s the TUC. They hold Labour’s money bags. As it happens, their AGM is taking place just now, and they have of course an opinion on a GE:
“Left-wing union bosses gathered at the Trades Union Congress in Brighton, where they spoke out in favour of an election now rather than Labour’s policy of a delay. And they warned Mr Corbyn not to sign up for a national unity government to block a No Deal Brexit headed by a politician like ex-Tory chancellor Ken Clarke.” (link)
Ah well – more ‘street theatre’ against Brexit. We’ll see later if this impressed Corbyn. One wonders if the TUC have seen the polls …
Before we get to the parliamentary theatre later today, there are a few news snippets to consider, on the resignation of Ms Amber Rudd and Mr Jo Johnson, brother of Boris. The latter apparently was told by his wife to choose: BoJo or her. So he chose to stab his brother in the back (here). It’s like watching a modern version of a medieval court.
As for Ms Rudd: she didn’t even tell her PM that she was going before she went public:
“The now former Work and Pensions Secretary kept her decision to walk out of government – and the party – secret from Boris Johnson as she lined up an interview with a Sunday newspaper. Downing Street became concerned that Ms Rudd was preparing a dramatic intervention in the Brexit debate on Saturday afternoon and the Prime Minister repeatedly tried to contact her. Mr Johnson finally managed to speak to Ms Rudd at just after 9pm on Saturday evening, and a senior Government source claims the news of her resignation was made public while the phone call was going on.” (paywalled link)
A bit rude, Ms Rudd, wouldn’t you agree? Remember Johnson’s demand of his newly appointed cabinet ministers, amongst which were his brother and Ms Rudd, namely that any who would or could not support his Brexit policy should not take up their posts? Not very honourable, these Tory Brexit Wreckers! Never trust a Tory – not even inside their own Party!
Now to the prospective ‘battle’ in the HoC this afternoon. This is what the Brexit wreckers plan:
“Rebel Conservative MPs are plotting to seize control of the Commons again today in an attempt to force Boris Johnson to publish secret documents detailing his plan to suspend parliament. […] Former ministers believe they have evidence that the prime minister misled MPs when he claimed that the decision to prorogue was unrelated to Brexit. They are preparing to join forces with Labour and other opposition parties to request an emergency debate from the Speaker, John Bercow, that could compel the government to publish the papers.” (link, paywalled)
It seems I’m still not cynical enough because I find it extraordinary that those Remain Harlots, in their zeal to wreck Brexit, are happy to wreck their own PM and Cabinet and ultimately their own Party. Here’s the dead give-away:
“One source close to the rebel group said yesterday they believed that there were documents in Whitehall that showed Mr Johnson had misled MPs when he claimed prorogation was unrelated to Brexit but a routine decision to allow for a new Queen’s Speech. “We don’t know if the Speaker will grant the debate but parliament needs to see all the internal documents. I think when those documents are produced they will cause quite a scandal. Not producing them would put the government in contempt of parliament.” (link, paywalled)
What is this demand meant to accomplish? Is their aim to discredit Johnson in the eyes of the world, on the international stage? That this weakens his negotiating position when he goes to the EU hardly needs to be mentioned. Do they want to force Johnson to resign? Replace him with the Remain Harlot extraordinaire, Phil Hammond?
I would also surmise that these plotters are the same who now plot to get those ‘true conservative’ MPs reinstated (here). They seem to think that they are sacrosanct because they are Remain Harlots, thus voting on a confidence vote against their own PM and government is perfectly fine.
There’s one other piece of news which reinforces the impression that the whole Establishment of Brexit Wreckers and Remain Harlots in Westminster are in cahoots. It’s “The Court Case”…!
Which court case, you may well ask! It’s the one the Benn Bill writers and supporters are preparing ‘just in case’ Johnson doesn’t go begging to the EU. This court case hasn’t taken place yet, you’ll have noticed, but these traitors are already screeching that Johnson must be made to obey ‘The Law’:
“The Times understands that Mr Johnson had been warned by several cabinet ministers that their positions would be untenable if he flouted a Supreme Court ruling ordering him to accept an extension. “The prime minister has assured me that we abide by the rule of law,” one said.” (link, paywalled)
The PM hasn’t done anything yet – but the Brexit Wreckers feel they must get their retaliation in first! As we wrote yesterday: Remain Harlots now want to do politics by rule of Supreme Judges. Will they go to the Supreme Court today, right after that unspeakable Surrender Bill has been given Royal Assent? Perhaps the shenanigans mulled over by the Cabinet over the weekend will be an incentive:
“Boris Johnson has drawn up plans to “sabotage” any Brexit extension without breaking the law, the Telegraph has learnt. It means Monday’s vote on a general election is the “last chance” for MPs to block a no-deal Brexit, the Government believes. The Prime Minister’s key advisers held a meeting on Sunday to thrash out a strategy to scupper Parliament’s efforts to force a three-month Brexit extension if no new deal is agreed. One plan under serious consideration would see the Prime Minister send an accompanying letter alongside the request to extend Article 50 setting out that the Government does not want any delay after Oct 31. (paywalled link)
Knowing this, would the parliamentary Remain Harlots dictate the text of the letter the PM must write, and forbid him to write any other letters? I would no longer put it past them!
Perhaps they imagine that some judge will command from his court room how the PM must write and negotiate? That they are on course to destroy our democracy doesn’t occur to them!
Will they then vote for a GE later today? I hope so but doubt it, even for this valid reason:
“The Prime Minister, with no majority to implement his most important policy, knows he needs a general election. And his reason is constitutionally proper and perfectly sensible. Only an election can break the logjam in Parliament.” (paywalled link)
There is, of course, Labour … see the next quote, describing the utter cynicism of Corbyn et al:
“After months attacking Boris Johnson as an unelected Prime Minister, two years demanding another election, and recently backing a second referendum, Labour now oppose fresh elections. […] Labour’s real reason for opposing an election is that they want to keep him in office until October 31. Then, thanks to the anti-no deal legislation due to receive Royal Assent today, he will be forced to break his promise and request yet another extension from the EU. […] Labour’s strategy is a crude attempt to undermine trust in Boris and encourage more people to vote for the Brexit Party rather than the Tories.” (paywalled link)
Nick Timothy, the author of this article, concludes with this unduly pessimistic assessment:
“If Brexit is stopped, […] the Tories will be smashed. And a dangerous Marxist will govern the country.” (paywalled link)
As Westminster Village dweller he clearly underestimates TBP to which Labour Leave voters will flock, disappointed and disgusted by the Corbyn Brexit betrayal.
No matter when and how that GE will take place: Leave voters won’t vote for Remain Harlots, regardless of their party rosettes. Tribal party loyalties won’t count – it’ll be about Leave or Remain.
So hang in there because it is again up to us peasants to make Leave win!
KBO!
Several years ago, I wrote to the Queen asking Her to intervene in the Brexit fiasco and the Palace replied that She acts only on the advice of Her ministers. Could Boris Johnson, knowing that he has no majority in the HofC and is unable to rule in the face of the remainers objections, advise the Queen to order a general election on a set date? After all, She is Head of State and must appreciate that Her Realm is at stake if Her Prime Minister is unable to conduct necessary business in Her name. Such a ruling would be non-amendable and would provide the PM with the ammunition he heeds.
I have just been listening to the Nigel Farage show on LBC.
Now that the government is going along with Jeremy Corbyn’s dictatorship by facilitating the Queen’s assent there is a new option, a deal, probably Mrs May’s deal with minor changes.
And it is fitting that Boris should hint at this in Dublin where almost 100 years ago a treaty allowing British withdrawal from Ireland was voted on and caused a civil war which ended with the death of the main negotiator Michael Collins, who, instead of taking a back seat once the British had left took up arms against his former comrades. However once the British had left the stranglehold of occupation was gone and independence flourished until the EU came along (but that is another story).
So in denying a no deal option the opposition may be doing the government a favour as long as the opposition now accepts Mrs May’s deal and votes for it thereby giving it a large majority, a good result all round, getting rid of the stranglehold of the EU and securing Brexit in the long run. a safer bet than a No Deal Brexit politically giving both Boris an Jeremy what they want, rendering all the other parties irrelevant and a brief dictatorship ended. ?????
Hints over the weekend there is a plan B.
BBC reporting:-
Johnson tells Varadkar no-deal Brexit ‘would be a failure’
My heart sank (further) when I saw this.
Sell out to the May Surrender Treaty – the only deal on the table.
To be fair he is correct in that a no deal IS a failure of statecraft. All sides should have been honest, mature and cooperative enough to have agreed a deal in the last 3+ years. What happened of course was the EU have been acting like a hostile entity, Eire is just as bad like a yapping little dog darting out from under the EU’s skirts to administer nips to our ankles and our side has been usurped by a traitorous PM being led by enemies inside our gates like Robbins, Sedwill and Hammond working more for them than us.
Statecraft having failed then there is no deal to be had unless a Canada +++ with no annexation of NI gets suddenly pulled like a rabbit from Barnier’s beret. So WTO it is then. Any whiff of Maybotch’s VT and the Tories will disappear as fast as Liebore from UK politics.Shame.
Lack of statecraft? I thought the Conservative Party were intent on fudging Brexit and the EU would give fulll assistance.
I personally see the EU masters all over this. Their underhand meddling and sabotage of governments who do not agree with them is rife. This being the case, they will use ECJ law (supreme to our own common law) to take over the UK government. It will be done by dirty, dirty methods. They will not allow a Labour government in because they know McDonnell is in cahoots with the IRA.
They well may, however, put the Remainer quislings in charge for ‘a stabilising period’. This of course, will completely destabilise the UK and create a totalitarian government. I just hope that Dominic Cummings cynicism of the EU has accounted for Ukraine like skulduggery. I also hope the government will bot need the Brexit Party but if they do, they actually treat those voters with respect. Unlike the viciousness towards UKIP voters after receiving so much UKIP support.
My own theory, however, is that Boris knows too well that he needs to create a true blue party again and that party needs to build trust by taking us out of the EU on WTO. This will then create a strong Tory government for the next five years, with a Brexit Party in opposition on the backs of Northern ex Labour votes, and a newly invigorated LibDem party on the sidelines. Labour as we see it will be wiped out. Wishful thinking …….
The Tory Party is rotten as a pear and at war with itself. As Viv points out here, you cannot trust a Tory even within their own party. Jojo and ” Good Ruddance” took their jobs on the understanding they would support Bojo’s policy. The Tory Party deserves to die. Stop voting for them. A party so divided does not deserve to govern the UK.
I tend to agree; I’m not sure that Boris can be trusted. Up until a few days ago I was considering whether to give my vote to the Cons (my MP is a leaver) or TBP. Now it is likely to go to TBP. However I would rather see an alliance between the Cons who support our exit and TBP to be sure of trashing the remoaners.
Tony Woodcock. And Corbyn does deserve to Govern?
Angela. I love your final para. Bring it on.
I’d just like to know whether Boris will advise the Queen to refuse Queen’s Consent (or indeed, Royal Assent) to the Benn bill. If he does, he is serious about delivering Brexit. If he doesn’t, he isn’t, and it’s all just theatrics.
Come to think of it, now is the time for the government to assert its authority to govern the country. This bill does not have government authority. So the government has no option but to refuse to present the bill to the queen. Otherwise it will be recognising the dictatorship of Jeremy Corbyn and acknowledging his right to rule the country and that the legitimate government is his servant….. ?
Well that didn’t happen.
I wonder what Plan B is.
Plan C is Civil War.
Plan B is presumably to challenge the bill in the courts (it needed RA first to be challenged) which will drag on for a bit. Course our judiciary are as impartial as the Squeaking Gnome so might not be the best plan.
Court case – from the High Court to the Supreme Court, then will the case go on to the European Court of Justice? And we all know how that court is far more interested in bending the rules to allow the EU to win than actually dispensing true justice.
so it seems are our courts, when we get a decent government they can all be kicked out lose their titles and we can have elected judges and upper house
History repeating itself? When the king became weak he was either deposed or assassinated.
How weak is the government? Is it going to be deposed by a coup inside Parliament? Or is it going to insist on the rule of law based on the referendum of the people and requirements of Parliamentary democracy with the right rule resting solely with the government i.e. the Ministerial executive under the umbrella of Cabinet responsibility.
How long is the government going to tolerate the anarchy that now prevails which is obviously leading to the de facto dictatorship of Jeremy Corbyn who no seems to be the sole ruler of the country.
The government now has only one option ………….. refuse to go along with anarchy leading to the dictatorship of Mr Corbyn and leave the EU on the 31 October 2019. Any other option means the end of democracy as we know it.
“It seems I’m still not cynical enough because I find it extraordinary that those Remain Harlots, in their zeal to wreck Brexit, are happy to wreck their own PM and Cabinet and ultimately their own Party.”
I think that this is because democracy isn’t high on their list of priorities, they’re intending for Britain to be subsumed by the EU and ruled anti democratically from Brussels, it doesn’t really matter to them about destroying their own parties, it’s all part of the planned coup.
An interesting clip here from Geert Wilders.
“Geert Wilders: EU wanted to make an example of Britain for Brexit”
https://youtu.be/g9uEZOahueU
So this is where we are now, a once proud and successful country being made an example of like naughty school children; it’s enough to make you weep.