Ex-UK PM Major vows to protect Queen and avoid constitutional crisis in Brexit row

[snoop1130]

Ex-UK PM Major vows to protect Queen and avoid constitutional crisis in Brexit row

by Andrew MacAskill, Kate Holton

 

FILE PHOTO: Britain's ex-Prime Minister John Major appears on the Marr Show on BBC television in London, Britain, July 22, 2018. Jeff Overs/BBC/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo

 

LONDON (Reuters) - Former British prime minister John Major vowed on Wednesday to go to court to block his party colleague Boris Johnson from suspending parliament and dragging the queen into a constitutional crisis to deliver a no-deal Brexit.

 

Johnson, the favorite to win a Conservative leadership election and so become the next prime minister, has refused to rule out suspending, or proroguing, parliament to ensure Britain leaves the European Union on Oct. 31 - with or without a deal.

 

That could provoke a constitutional crisis in one of the world’s oldest and most stable democracies because parliament is opposed to a disorderly exit, lacking a transition deal to ease the economic dislocation of leaving the bloc.

 

While it is essentially up to the prime minister to make the decision, Major, an opponent of Brexit who has not shied away for criticizing his party on the issue, said it would require the queen’s blessing.

 

“In order to close down parliament, the prime minister would have to go to Her Majesty the Queen and ask for her permission to prorogue,” he told BBC Radio. “If her first minister asks for that permission, it is almost inconceivable that the queen will do anything other than grant it.

 

“She is then in the midst of a constitutional controversy that no serious politician should put the queen in the middle of. If that were to happen, there would be a queue of people who would seek judicial review. I for one would be prepared to go and seek judicial review.”

 

Major accused Johnson of hypocrisy for backing Brexit to secure more power for Britain’s parliament, only to propose to sideline lawmakers when it suited him.

 

He said parliament had not been suspended since King Charles I did so during the English Civil War. Charles was eventually executed, in 1649.

 

“The idea of proroguing parliament is utterly and totally unacceptable from any British parliamentarian or democrat,” Major said.

 

A spokesman for Johnson did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Major is backing Johnson’s rival Hunt for the leadership but said he was speaking in a personal capacity.

 

SUSPENDING PARLIAMENT

 

The question of suspending parliament was raised during a televised debate between Johnson and Hunt, the foreign minister, on Tuesday evening.

 

While Hunt categorically ruled it out, Johnson said he would “not take anything off the table”.

 

Votes in parliament have indicated that a majority of lawmakers are against a no-deal Brexit because of concerns that it would cripple supply chains and damage trade.

 

Sterling was trading near its lowest level for more than two years on Wednesday as better-than-expected readings on the economy did little to dispel growing fears of a no-deal Brexit. [GBP/]

 

On Tuesday, lawmakers narrowly approved a measure that could make it harder for the next prime minister to suspend parliament.

 

House Speaker John Bercow has said it is “blindingly obvious” that the next prime minister would not be able to sideline parliament, adding: “Parliament will not be evacuated from the center stage of the decision-making process on this important matter.”

 

Major said there was a risk that Britain would not be ready to leave the EU in October, and that Johnson lacked leadership qualities. He followed other party grandees in questioning whether the former London mayor was fit for the highest office.

 

“National leaders look first at the interests of the country - not first at the interests of themselves,” he said.

 

Major’s own 1990-1997 premiership was plagued by Conservative disputes over Europe and saw Britain crash ignominiously out of the European Exchange Rate Mechanism, the predecessor to the single currency, in 1992.

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2019-07-10

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[nauseus]

I am sick of this crap ex PM who just gets worse. 

[GeorgeCross]

56 minutes ago, snoop1130 said:

He said parliament had not been suspended since King Charles I did so during the English Civil War. Charles was eventually executed

 

don't go giving remainers ideas!

 

 

[pegman]

Boorish Johnson is the only one around that can make John Major look good. 

[Small Joke]

Oh the hell with it, I just want to see Boris burn HMHP to the ground, then ride his bike around Nelson's Column in the nude yelling "Buller, Buller, Buller! Get your hands off my farking Brexit!" 

 

Come on Boris, show us yer pink wrinkly Johnson!

[Judum]

Mr Borris is the only one who has the nerve to kiss goodbye to it all with no deal and as for protecting the Queen she is opposed to leave as well as all her family after all the blood line comes from the one Britain wants to break free from chains from , its all a farce really simple freedom of sovereignty has shown what is really going and gone on and its only Mr Farage that showed all the ill doings that the sleeping people did not even realize 

Edited July 10, 2019 by Judum

[nontabury]

It’s a pity that this clowne of an ex P.M did not try to protect the interest of the British people,when he presided over Black Wensday, and then went on to sign the E.u surrender document “ The Maastricht so called Treaty”

[Chelseafan]

3 hours ago, Judum said:

Mr Borris is the only one who has the nerve to kiss goodbye to it all with no deal and as for protecting the Queen she is opposed to leave as well as all her family after all the blood line comes from the one Britain wants to break free from chains from , its all a farce really simple freedom of sovereignty has shown what is really going and gone on and its only Mr Farage that showed all the ill doings that the sleeping people did not even realize 

 

I will bet you my house that he has no intention of leaving.

 

 

 

[blazes]

The Grey Man from Spitting Image rises from the dead.

[Chomper Higgot]

He got rid of Maggie, he’ll have no problem with Johnson.

[ballpoint]

Boris is a lot smarter than his well crafted public persona would indicate.  It wouldn't surprise me one bit to find that his gung-ho Brexit talk is a planned act that serves two purposes: 

Firstly, it gets him the Brexiteer vote and support.

Secondly, when he is firmly installed as PM, the outrage already stirred by some of his more controversial statements (suspending parliament, leaving on October 31st, no matter what members of his own party say), will allow him a graceful backdown, and the chance to "reconcile" the country by either making a deal with the EU or holding a second referendum.  All this talk of court orders and public disobedience is falling right into his hands.

[UnkleMoooose]

Major himself prorogued parliament to avoid "Cash for Questions" which would undoubtedly (certainly, 100% guaranteed) have left the finger pointing at this crook. His hypocrisy is breathtaking..

[JonnyF]

13 minutes ago, UnkleMoooose said:

Major himself prorogued parliament to avoid "Cash for Questions" which would undoubtedly (certainly, 100% guaranteed) have left the finger pointing at this crook. His hypocrisy is breathtaking..

Beat me to it. He did it himself in 1997 for political purposes.

 

Now he'd seek a judicial review to stop someone else doing it. Incredible.

[Thingamabob]

Major signed us up to Mastricht. He should face a treachery charge. 

[Small Joke]

41 minutes ago, ballpoint said:

Boris is a lot smarter than his well crafted public persona would indicate.  It wouldn't surprise me one bit to find that his gung-ho Brexit talk is a planned act that serves two purposes: 

Firstly, it gets him the Brexiteer vote and support.

Secondly, when he is firmly installed as PM, the outrage already stirred by some of his more controversial statements (suspending parliament, leaving on October 31st, no matter what members of his own party say), will allow him a graceful backdown, and the chance to "reconcile" the country by either making a deal with the EU or holding a second referendum.  All this talk of court orders and public disobedience is falling right into his hands.

I share this suspicion too. 

I cautiously predict he'll be PM, then 'a funny thing will happen on way to the Brexit Forum'.

[nauseus]

Guess who was the last PM to prorogue parliament?

 

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/1997/mar/19/conservatives.uk

 

What a joke!

[welovesundaysatspace]

1 hour ago, ballpoint said:

Boris is a lot smarter than his well crafted public persona would indicate.  It wouldn't surprise me one bit to find that his gung-ho Brexit talk is a planned act that serves two purposes: 

 

20 minutes ago, Small Joke said:

I share this suspicion too. 

I cautiously predict he'll be PM, then 'a funny thing will happen on way to the Brexit Forum'.

I was suspecting the same. I think he’s an opportunist. He doesn’t care about the cause; he doesn’t care much about the party. He wants to be PM. And not just for some weeks. He will be eager to find a solution and then move on to other issues where he can make a name as PM. 

 

At the same time, he knows he won’t be able to change the EU’s position or parliamentary arithmetics. He will either get a relabeled customs union deal through parliament or hold a second referendum. I don’t think he will be stupid enough to risk an early general election where there would be a huge risk for him to go down as the shortest serving PM in history. He’ll flip-flop when he has to, as he did in the past. 

 

 

Edited July 11, 2019 by welovesundaysatspace

[grumpy 4680]

      If Britain ends up remaining in the EU. have we got to spend another 10 years trying to get a referendum to leave again, any deal that leaves us tied to the EU. is going is going to be worse than it was before.

      Major, is a pathetic wimp worse than Corbyn.

Edited July 11, 2019 by grumpy 4680
after thought

[Caldera]

"He said parliament had not been suspended since King Charles I did so during the English Civil War. Charles was eventually executed, in 1649."

 

There you go, Boris. They will have to bring the hangman back for you.

 

[grumpy 4680]

      Suspending parliament might be a good idea, then hang the lot of them, (except Boris) for putting Britain in this mess,  Its always been just for them, and not Britain.

[evadgib]

4 hours ago, Chomper Higgot said:

He got rid of Maggie, he’ll have no problem with Johnson.

Blimey, you really are 'confused'! ????

[beautifulthailand99]

Strap yourself in we are now firmly in the field of Carry on Brexit - we shall have some larfs and provide our world class humor to the world as we drift towards the melting icebergs. Act 1 The Great Boris Betrayal recast as a a last minute rabbit out of a hat. 

[blazes]

4 hours ago, Caldera said:

"He said parliament had not been suspended since King Charles I did so during the English Civil War. Charles was eventually executed, in 1649."

 

There you go, Boris. They will have to bring the hangman back for you.

 

 

if you listen to Major's actual words on BBC, you will  hear him say Charles the Second!!!!!!!! (who, I think, became King in 1660).

You'd think a PM might get that well-known fact correct

[nauseus]

11 minutes ago, blazes said:

 

if you listen to Major's actual words on BBC, you will  hear him say Charles the Second!!!!!!!! (who, I think, became King in 1660).

 You'd think a PM might get that well-known fact correct

Major is a repeating cock-up!

[nontabury]

8 hours ago, nauseus said:

Major is a repeating cock-up!

 

Is this a quote from Edwina?

[AlexRich]

Johnson’s a conman and snake oil salesman. And he’s currently conning 160,000 members of the Tory party ... into thinking he’ll actually do a “no deal” exit ... expect some fudge involving May’s original plan. 

[Loiner]

 
Is this a quote from Edwina?

Did he curry favour with her?

[jinners]

John Major, he was a has been in power and always will be nothing else, he now regularly gets wheeled out to spout his anti Brexit tripe whenever possible. Can't he find the rock he crawled out from under and quietly disappear? He prorogued parliament in 97 to avoid a cash for questions scandal. Joined Britain to the ERM which ended up costing the country billions and brought on a recession where interest rates hit 15% destroyed home owner dreams and small businesses alike and found himself in the knickers of one of his ministers, who was suspended for single handedly almost destroying the egg industry in the UK bu incompetence. 

Yeah he's really the one to give advice, hypocritical bas**rd