Opposition to block UK PM Johnson's early election bid

By Kylie MacLellan and Guy Faulconbridge

 

Flags flutter outside the Houses of Parliament, in London, Britain, September 4, 2019. REUTERS/Hannah McKay/Files

 

LONDON (Reuters) - British opposition parties said on Friday that they would block Prime Minister Boris Johnson's second bid to call an early general election in mid-October, setting up a showdown with the government over delaying Brexit.

 

Brexit remains up in the air more than three years after Britons voted to leave the EU in a 2016 referendum. Options range from a turbulent no-deal exit to abandoning the whole endeavour.

 

Johnson says he wants to take Britain out of the EU on Oct. 31 with or without a deal with the bloc. But he lost his parliamentary majority this week and expelled 21 lawmakers from his ruling Conservative Party's group in parliament after they supported an opposition plan to try to bloc a no-deal exit.

 

Johnson says the only solution is a new election, which he wants to take place on Oct. 15, allowing him to win a new mandate with two weeks left to leave the bloc on time. He needs two-thirds of parliament's lawmakers to back an early election.

 

But opposition parties, including the Labour Party, said they would either vote against or abstain on calls for an election until the law to force Johnson to seek a Brexit delay is implemented. Johnson failed to win enough support in a vote on Wednesday for an election.

 

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn held a call with other opposition leaders on Friday to discuss their plans.

 

"NO LONG WAIT"

 

"We will have that election when the time is right but I will make you this promise, we are not going to have a long wait," the leader in the British parliament of the opposition Scottish National Party, Ian Blackford, told BBC television, adding that his party would oppose it on Monday.

 

The opposition bill, which would force Johnson to seek a three-month Brexit delay, was approved by parliament's appointed upper chamber, the House of Lords, on Friday. Queen Elizabeth is expected to sign it into law on Monday.

 

Opposition lawmakers say they are wary of approving an election, which would mean parliament would be dissolved.

They want to ensure parliament can still sit in October to ensure Johnson complies with the law requiring he delay Brexit.

 

The leader of Welsh party Plaid Cymru's British parliamentary group, Liz Saville Roberts, told Sky News this meant an election would have to be after Oct. 31.

 

Johnson, a leader of the Leave campaign during the Brexit referendum who took office in July after Theresa May quit having failed three times to get a Brexit deal through parliament, has said he would rather "die in a ditch" than delay Brexit.

 

He says he wants a deal with Brussels but would be willing to leave without one, and has cast the bill aiming to stop a no-deal Brexit as a surrender to the EU.

 

"I'll go to Brussels, I'll get a deal and we'll make sure we come out on October 31, that's what we've got to do," Johnson said during a visit to a farm in Scotland.

 

When asked if he would resign if he could not deliver that, he said: "That is not a hypothesis I'm willing to contemplate."

 

"TRUST THE PEOPLE"

 

The expulsion of 21 Conservative lawmakers, many of them highly respected veterans including some who had been ministers only weeks before, has created a schism in the ruling party.

 

A number of others have announced they will quit parliament at the next election, most damagingly Johnson's younger brother Jo, an opponent of his hardline Brexit policy who resigned as a junior minister on Thursday, citing a conflict between family loyalty and the national interest.

 

Among the moves Johnson has made in recent weeks that his opponents say have tested Britain's democratic norms, he will suspend parliament for more than a month beginning next week.

 

England's High Court rejected a legal challenge against that decision on Friday and a Scottish court rejected a similar challenge earlier this week. But the issue could be taken to the Supreme Court for a final appeal.

 

John Major, a former Conservative prime minister who supported the court challenge against suspending parliament, said Brexit was a deceit that would undermine the United Kingdom's standing and could even split it asunder.

 

"Brexit will reduce our global reach, not enhance it," Major said. "Once outside Europe, we British will have little or no voice. We are not used to being outside the inner circles of decision-making – and we will hate it."

 

Major said Johnson should fire Dominic Cummings, the advisor behind his high-stakes Brexit strategy whom Major cast as a "political anarchist".

 

When asked about Major's call, Cummings told Reuters: "Really? Trust the people."

 

(Additional reporting by Kate Holton, Alistair Smout, James Davey, Elizabeth Piper and Paul Sandle; Writing by Guy Faulconbridge; editing by Jon Boyle, Peter Graff and Andrew Heavens)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2019-09-07

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I think Baldrick could have devised a better “cunning plan” than Dominic Cummings ... Boris has lost the plot and lost control of events ... his only option is to deliver a deal and try to get it through Parliament ... good luck with that.

1 hour ago, AlexRich said:

I think Baldrick could have devised a better “cunning plan” than Dominic Cummings ... Boris has lost the plot and lost control of events ... his only option is to deliver a deal and try to get it through Parliament ... good luck with that.

Certainly lost the plot but it is very sinister indeed when unelected advisors appear to be running the governments policies ( and sacking people who are not sycophants) as can be witnessed by the apparent  antics of Boris and his team members all following Dominic Cummings instructions. 

1 minute ago, geoffbezoz said:

Certainly lost the plot but it is very sinister indeed when unelected advisors appear to be running the governments policies ( and sacking people who are not sycophants) as can be witnessed by the apparent  antics of Boris and his team members all following Dominic Cummings instructions. 

All Prime Ministers have a political Svengali working for them, remember Alistair Campbell and Blair?

2 hours ago, vogie said:

All Prime Ministers have a political Svengali working for them, remember Alistair Campbell and Blair?

And Maggie's, Sir Bernard Ingram.

 

Though Ingram and Campbell were subservient to their masters they did have a lot of slack...

 

But one wonders if Cummings is more the Widow Dowager?

Remainers have now killed democracy in the UK. Well done guys! 

5 minutes ago, Basil B said:

And Maggie's, Sir Bernard Ingram.

 

Though Ingram and Campbell were subservient to their masters they did have a lot of slack...

 

But one wonders if Cummings is more the Widow Dowager?

Not sure if Bernard Ingham had any influence on Mrs Thatchers decisions, he was classed as her press officer, she did take a lot of advice from Norman Tebbitt in the beginning (if she'd listen). But what is safe to say Maggie did what Maggie thought was best. In the end that was her downfall.

Campbell was much more of a hands on man and many say he did a lot to influence Tony Blair over the Iraq war, the rest is history. But to this day I still have to carry the burden of knowing that Campbell came from my home town.

4 hours ago, rooster59 said:

But opposition parties, including the Labour Party, said they would either vote against or abstain on calls for an election until the law to force Johnson to seek a Brexit delay is implemented. Johnson failed to win enough support in a vote on Wednesday for an election.

I think it is after Johnson has gone to Europe and got the extension that Boris will get his election,  and I doubt it will be by way of a Early Election Motion that Boris will need 434 votes in favour, I suspect just before the division bells go on Monday Boris will have secured the extension, more over I think Corbyn may just pull a flanker and call a vote of no confidence in the Government before the Early Election vote can take place, just to make it more humiliating for Boris.

16 minutes ago, TopDeadSenter said:

Remainers have now killed democracy in the UK. Well done guys! 

Thanks for the compliment, we may just have saved the UK from committing economical suicide... 

5 hours ago, rooster59 said:

Johnson failed to win enough support in a vote on Wednesday for an election.

He’s failed to win enough support in every vote taken since being elected pm. 

25 minutes ago, TopDeadSenter said:

Remainers have now killed democracy in the UK. Well done guys! 

Yeah, right.

 

This is what helps nail shut the lid on British democracy.

These links refer to illegal spending by the official Leave campaign headed by Boris and Gove. The first article is well worth taking time to read.

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2018/jul/17/vote-leave-broke-electoral-law-and-british-democracy-is-shaken

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/sep/14/judges-brexit-vote-eu-referendum-vote-leave

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-44856992

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-47755611

These are proven cases in law. This is aside from the blatant lies spouted, most notably the high profile “£350m a week” bus.

Then there’s the matter of the Leave.EU’s unlawful campaign funding and data breaches:

https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-britain-eu-leave-eu-fine/brexit-campaign-leave-eu-fined-for-unlawful-marketing-idUKKCN1PQ4J2

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-44080096

“The Electoral Commission has referred Leave.EU chief executive Liz Bilney to the police, saying it had reasonable grounds to suspect she had committed criminal offences over campaign spending.

 

Bob Posner, the Commission's director of political finance and regulation, said spending rules were in place to ensure public confidence in democracy and it was "disappointing that Leave.EU, a key player in the EU referendum, was unable to abide by these rules".

"These are serious offences. The level of fine we have imposed has been constrained by the cap on the Commission's fines," he added.”

 

Aaron Banks “loaned” some £6m to his own Leave.EU campaigned but has unlawfully concealed where that money came from, it most likely comes from outside of the UK. If it were legitimate and allowable then he would have declared the source.

Why would these wealthy individuals have spent so many millions on campaigning? Clearly to convince people to vote the way they wanted – there can be no other explanation. As it would have taken less than 2% of those who voted to have chosen remain rather than leave, it would be unbelievable to pretend that the result was right.

One final point that I just found in one of the above articles. It was widely acknowledged in the build-up to the referendum that it was “advisory”, although leave campaigners pretend that wasn’t the case. The irony here is that because it was advisory, the Electoral Commission cannot declare the vote void or order a re-run.

28 minutes ago, TopDeadSenter said:

Remainers have now killed democracy in the UK. Well done guys! 

Could have had brexit if the no dealers had not sabotaged mays deal. 

3 hours ago, geoffbezoz said:

Certainly lost the plot but it is very sinister indeed when unelected advisors appear to be running the governments policies ( and sacking people who are not sycophants) as can be witnessed by the apparent  antics of Boris and his team members all following Dominic Cummings instructions. 

How long before "Leavers" brand Johnson and Cummings as traitors for failing to deliver what they want? Didn't take them long to turn on May and remember Johnson was really pro-EU before he saw an opportunity to further his career when offered the chance to head up the leave campaign.

1 minute ago, Bluespunk said:

Could have had brexit if the no dealers had not sabotaged mays deal. 

Could have had Brino if Labour had not sabotaged Mays deal too.

'Think Boris and domino will now try to lobby one member state Hungry, Italy, Greece, or Spain (if we return Gibraltar) into vetoing any extension thus leaving the chicken Teresa May's slightly grilled thin skinned and boneless deal or crash out by default whether a no deal has been ruled out or not????

2 minutes ago, sammieuk1 said:

'Think Boris and domino will now try to lobby one member state Hungry, Italy, Greece, or Spain (if we return Gibraltar) into vetoing any extension thus leaving the chicken Teresa May's slightly grilled thin skinned and boneless deal or crash out by default whether a no deal has been ruled out or not????

0r Johnson might choose to lie in a ditch and top himself, having declared that as his prefered option.

3 minutes ago, vogie said:

Could have had Brino if Labour had not sabotaged Mays deal too.

The tory no dealers sabotaged their own party’s deal. 

 

The current debacle is entirely on them. 

27 minutes ago, Basil B said:

I think it is after Johnson has gone to Europe and got the extension that Boris will get his election,  and I doubt it will be by way of a Early Election Motion that Boris will need 434 votes in favour, I suspect just before the division bells go on Monday Boris will have secured the extension, more over I think Corbyn may just pull a flanker and call a vote of no confidence in the Government before the Early Election vote can take place, just to make it more humiliating for Boris.

I would presume the EU wants some kind of reassurance, or at least a reasonable chance, of a stay or deal brexit before agreeing to an extension.

11 minutes ago, vogie said:

Could have had Brino if Labour had not sabotaged Mays deal too.

No, that was really on the Conservatives.

4 hours ago, AlexRich said:

I think Baldrick could have devised a better “cunning plan” than Dominic Cummings ... Boris has lost the plot and lost control of events ... his only option is to deliver a deal and try to get it through Parliament ... good luck with that.

Don't you know that he is secretly working on this secret deal. It's so secret that not even the EU knows about it.

But Boris thinks will wing it...

Maybe this helps some Brexiters to understand reality:

20 minutes ago, Bluespunk said:

The tory no dealers sabotaged their own party’s deal. 

 

The current debacle is entirely on them. 

No they didn't and no it isn't.

11 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

Maybe this helps some Brexiters to understand reality:

Yer forgot summink...

Just now, vogie said:

No they didn't and no it isn't.

Really, they didn’t vote against may’s deal and block the only brexit deal on offer?

 

Hmm, I’d better reread all those reports on the antics of those no dealers, you know, double check on how they voted. 

 

I’ll get back to you after I’ve done that...

1 minute ago, Bluespunk said:

Really, they didn’t vote against may’s deal and block the only brexit deal on offer?

 

Hmm, I’d better reread all those reports on the antics of those no dealers, you know, double check on how they voted. 

 

I’ll get back to you after I’ve done that...

 

 

Was it a parliamentary vote or just a Tory vote, please check that while you're out, then get back, thanks.????

17 minutes ago, stevenl said:

I would presume the EU wants some kind of reassurance, or at least a reasonable chance, of a stay or deal brexit before agreeing to an extension.

That would be stalemate...

 

I think everyone (Brexiteers, Remainers and the EU), wants to see this issue resolved one way or another, as quickly as possible, until there is an extension there will not be a election, until there has been an election there is no way forward other than leaving by no deal default.

 

The only other way is another bill that forces Boris to revoke A50 on Oct 31st if their is no deal or another extension.  

IMO, a no-deal law could assist Johnson to obtain an amended deal with the EU based on changes in the political statement. Probably based on May's concessionary agreement that wasn't voted on by parliament - because it's clear that he will be prevented from holding a GE this side of October 31st.   

 

If that doesn't transpire - and there would be too much party infighting to make it a good bet - get ready to rock and roll come Friday November 1st when the knives will be out. Any bets on a no-confidence vote starter? Get rid of Johnson and his right-wing cohorts.

 

 

  

 

 

12 minutes ago, vogie said:

 

 

Was it a parliamentary vote or just a Tory vote, please check that while you're out, then get back, thanks.????

I’m only checking on the fact that the no dealers, in their zealotry, did sabotage their own party’s deal by voting against it (and not getting expelled by the way) and lead to the current debacle. 

 

So far I’m correct. 

16 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

Maybe this helps some Brexiters to understand reality:

IMO, apart from the added sugar in the can of beans, it's a lot more nutritious than the unhealthy alternatives, such as processed meats...

12 minutes ago, Bluespunk said:

Really, they didn’t vote against may’s deal and block the only brexit deal on offer?

 

Hmm, I’d better reread all those reports on the antics of those no dealers, you know, double check on how they voted. 

 

I’ll get back to you after I’ve done that...

And don't forget the DUP, May's bed-buddies, who also voted against it.