Wednesday 14 August 2019

Stopping Boris Johnson

There are two forces lined up against Prime Minister Boris Johnson. One is those who won't accept no deal and those who think we should remain. The fact is that the latter to some extent rely on the force of the former. The more Johnson pushes towards a no deal and does nothing to meet the European Union for a deal, the more the two opposing forces come together.

On Facebook, Boris Johnson has referred to a “terrible kind of collaboration” between people who think they can block Brexit in Parliament and the EU. This, yet again, castigates the EU as an 'enemy' and groups those once in government against himself.

The European Union is not an enemy and not another side. This is where the whole language has gone wrong, into the language of hostility, and we should not buy into it.

It is the British Government that intends to leave, and the British Government who therefore should go to the EU with a proposal. It has not done this, and thus leaves little doubt - by its inactions - that no deal is effective policy. It is an act of self-harm to be enacted by a government.

Meanwhile, the Speaker John Bercow has his concern over proroguing Parliament. It must be able to 'parle' and act with effect.

To achieve the first group's objection a delay is necessary for negotiating. This means nothing less than introducing legislation and changing the law - to asking for a delay, to removing the leave date from existing legislation, and (possibly) to have revoke as an action if there is no delay. The latter gets us to the second group, people like me, remainers full.

The reason Johnson opposes this is because he thinks leaving the EU is the last chance for the survival of the Conservative Party. The party is already split, so it seems rather a pointless road, but he fears that it will become demolished if this act of national self-harm does not take place. Those Tories who oppose this act of self-harm put the country above party.

People like Amber Rudd and Nicky Morgan used to have such a view, but they accepted Johnson's shilling and are now part of the government madness towards self-harm and have shown their lack of personal consistency at best and likely lack of integrity. But others haven't gone along with the charade, and understand Johnson for who he is, and there are about twenty of them to add to the others already opposing him.

These Tories with a limited objective are being lumped with the others, but it's the others (the actual remainers) I think who probably now have to change party. To this extent Johnson is right: the Tory Party will be toxic upon failure to deliver 'do or die'. (It is the UK that will 'die' - die economically and die into its various nations split apart.) Those who think that continued membership of the EU offers us the 'best deal' available, really now put themselves outside of the Tory fold; and why would they stand under accusation of such tribal disloyalty and stay with such a toxic brand?

Nevertheless, the Johnson government direction offers no choice, but than using all tactics and means to oppose him in Parliament. I maintain that the Fixed-term Parliaments Act alters the statute means to challenge the legitimacy of government, to form an Executive to 'dominate' the House of Commons by which legislation is introduced. It means the members delivering a no confidence vote forming the Executive and it put into action limited delay legislation as above and removing Johnson from the ability to delay a General Election until after the leaving date. This is what must be stopped. There may be other ways to do it, but I would not leave him in charge.

No comments: