PM Johnson goads opponents to call election as tempers flare over Brexit

[webfact]

PM Johnson goads opponents to call election as tempers flare over Brexit

By Elizabeth Piper and William James

 

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson exits the podium after addressing the 74th session of the United Nations General Assembly at U.N. headquarters in New York City, New York, U.S., September 24, 2019. REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz

 

LONDON (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Boris Johnson taunted his rivals on his return to parliament on Wednesday, goading them to either bring down the government or get out of the way to allow him to deliver Brexit.

 

Waving his arms and yelling "come on, come on", Johnson implored his opponents in a raucous House of Commons session to bring a vote of no-confidence in the government and trigger an election to finally break the Brexit impasse.

 

But once again the leaders of the opposition parties, including Labour's Jeremy Corbyn, refused to engage. They said they would only agree to an election once Johnson had ruled out leaving the European Union without a deal.

 

Britain faces an Oct. 31 deadline to leave the EU, but after three years of political crisis, with parliament unable to agree on a strategy, it remains unclear when, if or on what terms the country will leave the bloc it joined in 1973.

 

"This Parliament must either stand aside and let this government get Brexit done or bring a vote of confidence and finally face the day of reckoning with the voters," Johnson said, adding he would not "betray the people" over Brexit.

 

Corbyn and opposition parties have already forced through a new law requiring the government to ask for a delay to Brexit if it fails to secure a deal by Oct. 19, but it remains unclear whether the prime minister would abide by it.

 

Johnson, often compared to U.S. President Donald Trump in his approach to governing, said he would not request an extension even if the conditions of the law were met, but also said he would obey the rules and deliver Brexit by Oct. 31.

 

Corbyn said no one could trust the prime minister, telling him: "If you want an election, get an extension."

 

A Labour source said the party would not take up the prime minister's offer of a no confidence vote on Thursday "while there's the threat of Johnson using it to ram through a no deal before polling day".

 

FIRST DAY BACK

Johnson was appearing in parliament for the first time since the Supreme Court ruled he had acted unlawfully in advising Queen Elizabeth to suspend parliament.

 

Having lost his majority and a series of parliamentary votes on Brexit, Johnson had suspended the House of Commons for five weeks. But the country's top court ruled the closure was void in one of the most humiliating legal defeats for a prime minister.

 

Parliament remains in deadlock, with Johnson intent on leading Britain out of the EU with or without an exit agreement while most lawmakers are determined to block a no-deal scenario, fearing it will cause huge economic disruption.

 

His demands for an election have already been rejected twice.

 

Running out of options and with an eye on an election campaign, Johnson sought on Wednesday to paint his opponents as not just opposed to a no-deal Brexit, but opposed to Brexit altogether: defying the will of the British people.

 

Johnson's spokesman said the opposition's refusal to trigger an election would be taken by the government as a green light to carry on with its Brexit strategy, to leave by Oct. 31. "It's time to put up or shut up," he said.

 

As lawmakers around the House shouted "resign, resign", Johnson said his opponents were refusing to agree to an election for fear that they would not win power.

 

"I think the people of this country can see perfectly clearly what is going on," he said. "The leader of the opposition and his party do not trust the people."

 

HUMBUG

Britain's vote to leave the EU in 2016 revealed a country that was deeply divided over much more than Brexit, and tensions have risen ever since, both inside and out of the House.

 

On Wednesday, many lawmakers from Labour urged the prime minister to tone down his rhetoric and to avoid using the language of surrender and betrayal. Many invoked the memory of their colleague Jo Cox who was murdered just before the vote.

 

After one lawmaker Paula Sherriff told the House she had received death threats, with many echoing the prime minister's own words, Johnson replied: "I have never heard so much humbug in my life", sparking uproar on the opposition benches.

 

Ahead of Johnson's appearance before lawmakers, his attorney-general, Geoffrey Cox, described the British parliament as "dead". In a defiant outburst he labelled the government's opponents as cowards for refusing to call an election.

 

Under questioning, he said the government would comply with the new law forcing the delay if no deal was struck.

 

With Johnson boxed in, he has repeatedly said he can strike a deal with the EU's 27 other members at a summit on Oct. 17-18.

 

However, EU negotiators say he has made no new proposals capable of breaking the deadlock over the issue of how to manage the border between Ireland, an EU member, and Northern Ireland, which is part of the United Kingdom, after Brexit.

 

"I think the people of this country have had enough," Johnson said. "This parliament must either stand aside and let this government get Brexit done or bring a vote of confidence and finally face the day of reckoning with the voters."

 

(Reporting by Elizabeth Piper and William James; Additional reporting by Costas Pitas and Estelle Shirbon; Writing by Kate Holton; Editing by Angus Macswan, Giles Elgood and Lisa Shumaker)

 

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2019-09-26

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[fishtank]

Bungle really should do the honorable thing and resign.

He is a total disgrace.

[Denim]

6 minutes ago, fishtank said:

Bungle really should do the honorable thing and resign.

He is a total disgrace.

Are there any in that crowd who are not ?

[Rookiescot]

Corbyn said no one could trust the prime minister, telling him: "If you want an election, get an extension." 

 

And thats the nub. No-one believes Johnson will not use an election to suspend parliament.

If you will lie to the Queen you will lie to everyone else.

[stevenl]

27 minutes ago, fishtank said:

Bungle really should do the honorable thing and resign.

He is a total disgrace.

I agree that his rhetoric is inflaming, he should stop with that. Leading to nothing but more division.

[thaibeachlovers]

You are the champ, Boris. They've got nothing if you stand firm.

It's precisely for this that I wanted him to be PM. Standing up to the forces of darkness.

[Kadilo]

Watching the scenes from the Commons yesterday was a total embarrassment. For a Prime Minister to refuse to apologise for misleading the Queen and shutting down Parliament is a disgrace. He cannot stop much lower. 

There is a clip where as he was leaving he was asked by the Speaker to stay as “it would be respectful to stay as it’s a point of order” and he just muttered a few words, shook his head and left. 

 

Just about sums sums up where we are at. Shambolic 

 

Edited September 25, 2019 by Kadilo

[Kadilo]

2 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

. Standing up to the forces of darkness.

....or breaking the law as the Supreme Court called it. 

[thaibeachlovers]

16 minutes ago, Kadilo said:

....or breaking the law as the Supreme Court called it. 

I wasn't aware that he'd been arrested.

[John1012]

19 minutes ago, Kadilo said:

Watching the scenes from the Commons yesterday was a total embarrassment. For a Prime Minister to refuse to apologise for misleading the Queen and shutting down Parliament is a disgrace. He cannot stop much lower. 

There is a clip where as he was leaving he was asked by the Speaker to stay as “it would be respectful to stay as it’s a point of order” and he just muttered a few words, shook his head and left. 

 

Just about sums sums up where we are at. Shambolic 

 

Misleading the Queen? Prove it....Boris and his legal advisors are not stupid...until the exact wording of his request to HM can be analyzed, misleading is an inappropriate expression. The problem is that the UK has NO concrete written constitution, so our supreme court can have no fixed point of reference, and as they all seem to support remaining in the EUSSR then any judgment they offer will be affected by this attitude and their own interpretation of our so called constitution. Democracy is under threat in the UK, as is freedom of expression. I as a British citizen wish to governed by a parliament that I had a hand in electing ,under the existing 'first past the post' method of polling, I do not wish to lose my Nationality to a central bureaucratic unelected, unaccountable cabal of socialists and globalists, who will render our  Parliament/Monarchy redundant...a region of the EUSSR...soon to be come a Caliphate.

[damascase]

11 minutes ago, John1012 said:

Misleading the Queen? Prove it....Boris and his legal advisors are not stupid...until the exact wording of his request to HM can be analyzed, misleading is an inappropriate expression. The problem is that the UK has NO concrete written constitution, so our supreme court can have no fixed point of reference, and as they all seem to support remaining in the EUSSR then any judgment they offer will be affected by this attitude and their own interpretation of our so called constitution. Democracy is under threat in the UK, as is freedom of expression. I as a British citizen wish to governed by a parliament that I had a hand in electing ,under the existing 'first past the post' method of polling, I do not wish to lose my Nationality to a central bureaucratic unelected, unaccountable cabal of socialists and globalists, who will render our  Parliament/Monarchy redundant...a region of the EUSSR...soon to be come a Caliphate.

Why do you keep telling lies - to put it mildly - about the EU? Or don’t you really have a clue at all, and does your rant come from sheer ignorance?

 

Edited September 26, 2019 by damascase
Typo

[Jano22]

Go one, after all you entertain the world with all this svada.

[soalbundy]

46 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

You are the champ, Boris. They've got nothing if you stand firm.

It's precisely for this that I wanted him to be PM. Standing up to the forces of darkness.

Dart Veda was in parliament ?

[thaibeachlovers]

8 minutes ago, damascase said:

Why do you keep telling lies - to put it mildly - about the EU? Or don’t you really have a clue at all, and does your rant come from sheer ignorance?

 

I lived in the UK long enough to agree with him. He didn't lie, IMO.

[thaibeachlovers]

1 minute ago, soalbundy said:

Dart Veda was in parliament ?

Who is that?

[soalbundy]

56 minutes ago, stevenl said:

I agree that his rhetoric is inflaming, he should stop with that. Leading to nothing but more division.

He really is like Trump but he uses bigger words

[Kadilo]

11 minutes ago, damascase said:

Why do you keep telling lies - to put it mildly - about the EU? Or don’t you really have a clue at all, and does your rant come from sheer ignorance?

 

Mmmmm, I’ll have a punt at the latter

Edited September 26, 2019 by Kadilo

[steve187]

1 hour ago, Victornoir said:

As a convinced European, I have no desire to continue with a partner undecided, threatening to leave at the first difficulty.

not the first difficulty, we Brits have put up with the mismanagement that is the EU for too long, we should never have entered the EU, we voted back in the 70's for a common market, not a federal state of greater Germany.

[legend49]

1 hour ago, fishtank said:

Bungle really should do the honorable thing and resign.

He is a total disgrace.

Revoke his citizenship as well and return to sender ( back to USA).

[vogie]

Just now, legend49 said:

Revoke his citizenship as well and return to sender ( back to USA).

And yet he is still more popular as a leader than Jo Swinson and Jeremy Corbyn combined.

[DoctorG]

What Opposition has ever knocked back the chance for an early election? Can it be that Corbyn knows that he would be roundly defeated?

[RichardColeman]

Go on Boris, appoint a 1/3 of the MP's before the election

 

[flossie35]

1 hour ago, thaibeachlovers said:

I lived in the UK long enough to agree with him. He didn't lie, IMO.

But he did; the reason he gave for the prorogation was not true. The court can recognise a lie when it sees one; buffoon fans just turn a blind one.

[Srikcir]

1 hour ago, DoctorG said:

What Opposition has ever knocked back the chance for an early election? Can it be that Corbyn knows that he would be roundly defeated?

The current Parliament might be such Opposition.

The Parliament needs an extension Brexit date from the EU and to strengthen/amend its recently passed law to prevent a No-Deal Brexit in order to prevent further machinations by Johnson to suppress parliamentary actions.

But if Parliament gets a no-confidence vote against Johnson, Johnson will then immediately suspend Parliament until the Brexit deadline passes. Keeping Johnson as PM means preventing Corbyn from challenging Johnson for PM (maybe an excuse Corbyn would appreciate) and Parliament essentially controls the Brexit process. From that perspective PM Johnson would become irrelevant and that could be a political benefit for the Opposition.

Edited September 26, 2019 by Srikcir
misspell

[brucec64]

What Opposition has ever knocked back the chance for an early election? Can it be that Corbyn knows that he would be roundly defeated?

When the leading party is a minority, the opposition has the luxury of picking an opportune moment to call an election. If not, why wouldn't they call an election the first day that a minority government sits?

In this case, the opposition knows that Boris will lose a lot of goodwill if the oct 31 exit day comes and goes with no exit.

In any case, why are they obligated to call an election? They have 3 to 4 years to go after being elected by the people. Are you saying you want another election because you dont like the results of the last? Sound familiar?

Sent from my SM-N950F using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[Thingamabob]

4 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

You are the champ, Boris. They've got nothing if you stand firm.

It's precisely for this that I wanted him to be PM. Standing up to the forces of darkness.

Boris showing real leadership qualities. Good to see after all the faffing about for over 3 years. Corbyn and the liberal woman utterly pathetic.

[Thingamabob]

28 minutes ago, brucec64 said:

When the leading party is a minority, the opposition has the luxury of picking an opportune moment to call an election. If not, why wouldn't they call an election the first day that a minority government sits?

In this case, the opposition knows that Boris will lose a lot of goodwill if the oct 31 exit day comes and goes with no exit.

In any case, why are they obligated to call an election? They have 3 to 4 years to go after being elected by the people. Are you saying you want another election because you dont like the results of the last? Sound familiar?

Sent from my SM-N950F using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app
 

Yes.

[nauseus]

4 hours ago, Victornoir said:

"I think the people of this country have had enough, Johnson said".
I think that the peoples of Europe also have had enough.

Brexit is a bad project conceived by unscrupulous demagogues. The problem is that the British have validated and they must now realize it. Probably at the cost of an unprecedented economic collapse and downgrading but that was their choice.

As a convinced European, I have no desire to continue with a partner undecided, threatening to leave at the first difficulty. 

An opinion, which you are entitled to but with which I disagree with.

 

Brexit is the result of the only leave opportunity given to the British people for more than 40 years. The vote to leave was building up to a majority for the same amount of time and it was not a result of any conceived plan by demagogues or anyone else. This partner is not undecided - it decided to leave in 2016. 

 

An economic collapse may be around the corner but it will affect all of Europe and most of the world, in any case. 

[welovesundaysatspace]

Should the UK ever leave the EU, it will do so as a broken country. And and I’m not even talking about the economy; that will go on top. 

[Thingamabob]

4 hours ago, Kadilo said:

....or breaking the law as the Supreme Court called it. 

....breaking the law that the <deleted> supreme court had just decided to create.