Brexit election? Johnson makes fresh bid to break the deadlock

[snoop1130]

Brexit election? Johnson makes fresh bid to break the deadlock

By Guy Faulconbridge, Kylie MacLellan

 

Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson leaves Downing Street to head for the Houses of Parliament in London, Britain October 28, 2019. REUTERS/Toby Melville

 

LONDON (Reuters) - Prime Minister Boris Johnson makes a fresh bid for an election to break the Brexit deadlock on Tuesday after nearly three-and-a-half years of wrangling in parliament that has left Britain’s exit from the European Union in turmoil.

 

As the European Union finalises a third delay to the divorce that was originally supposed to take place on March 29, the United Kingdom, its parliament and its voters remain divided on how or indeed if to go ahead with Brexit.

 

Johnson, who had promised to deliver Brexit on Oct. 31, “do or die”, has repeatedly demanded an election to end what he casts as a nightmare paralysis that is sapping public trust by preventing any Brexit outcome at all.

 

After parliament refused Johnson his third demand for an election on Monday, he will try to force a bill through parliament on Tuesday that calls for a Dec. 12 election. It needs a simple majority in parliament.

 

“We will not allow this paralysis to continue and, one way or another, we must proceed straight to an election,” Johnson told parliament on Monday. “This House cannot any longer keep this country hostage.”

 

Meanwhile, the legislation enacting Johnson’s Brexit deal has been put on hold, pending an election, Jacob Rees-Mogg, who oversees the government’s legislative agenda in the House of Commons, said.

 

The first Christmas election in Britain since 1923 would be highly unpredictable: Brexit has variously fatigued and enraged swathes of voters while eroding traditional loyalties to the two major parties, Conservative and Labour.

 

Ultimately, voters would have a choice between an emboldened Johnson pushing for his Brexit deal or a socialist government under Jeremy Corbyn renegotiating the deal before a referendum.

 

If no party wins conclusively, the Brexit deadlock will continue.

 

CHRISTMAS ELECTION?

 

While almost all British politicians agree that an election is needed, Johnson’s opponents want to inflict maximum political damage by preventing his last-minute deal from being ratified before the poll.

 

Johnson, in turn, is trying to shift the blame for failing to deliver Brexit by Oct. 31 on to parliament.

 

Such is the lack of trust in parliament that lawmakers are squabbling about almost everything from the sequencing of Brexit to the date of the election.

 

Behind the bickering, though, Johnson is closer to an election than he has ever been in his tumultuous 3-month premiership.

 

Two opposition parties, the Liberal Democrats and Scottish National Party, want an election on Dec. 9.

 

“We won’t accept any jiggery-pokery from the prime minister,” Ian Blackford, the Scottish National Party’s Westminster leader, said. “Our vote certainly can’t be taken for granted.”

 

Corbyn, leader of the main opposition Labour Party, said on Monday he would “consider carefully” legislation which locked in an election date.

 

Johnson’s Conservatives are ahead of Labour by an average of about 10 percentage points in polls this month, though pollsters underestimated the support for Brexit in 2016 and admit that the models they use are wilting beside the Brexit furnace.

 

When Johnson’s predecessor, Theresa May, bet on a snap election in 2017, she lost her slender majority - a failure that ultimately prevented her from ratifying her Brexit deal and so sank her political career.

 

In the June 23, 2016 referendum, 17.4 million voters, or 51.9 percent, backed leaving the EU while 16.1 million, or 48.1 percent, voted to remain.

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2019-10-29

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[oldhippy]

And the Brexit circus continues.

 

I think Europeans are lucky that the EU politicians did not get sucked into the British swamp (sorry for the Trumpish language).

[ratcatcher]

No mention has been made as to whether Boris has found a comfortable ditch in which to lie, having failed to deliver Brexit, do or die, no ifs ands or buts Brexit on Oct 31st come what (Theresa ) May. 

[JonnyF]

3 hours ago, oldhippy said:

And the Brexit circus continues.

 

I think Europeans are lucky that the EU politicians did not get sucked into the British swamp (sorry for the Trumpish language).

The circus is nearing the end and they know it.

 

Remainer MP's are currently begging Bercow to stay on. He's loving it, lots of fake humility. A Sad spectacle for British democracy.

[Opl]

3 hours ago, oldhippy said:

And the Brexit circus continues.

 

I think Europeans are lucky that the EU politicians did not get sucked into the British swamp (sorry for the Trumpish language).

 The BBC comedy show Little Britain is to return for a one-off Radio 4 special, called Little Brexit

The Brexit-themed episode will air on 31 October - the date the Prime Minister wanted the UK to leave the EU.

Edited October 29, 2019 by Opl

[Denim]

In some future century , after the moon and Mars have been colonized and the UK has just celebrated it's 1000th extension, where bonfires are lit , sparklers given to the kids , and effigies of Johnson May and Cameron are either burnt in celebration or given a solemn requiem , according to local tradition ,  debate will still rage on the exact definition of democracy and just how much say

in important issues the hoi polio should be given.

 

 

[OneMoreFarang]

What happend to Boris urgency? After he waited for weeks he pushed the EU to agree to a deal within days. The EU worked overtime and they did what he wanted. And then he let parliament decide and he won the first vote for his Brexit deal with +30 votes. Why didn't he just continue from there?

He wanted to do it rush rush in 3 days. That was obviously too fast for everybody to read the details. Boris could have presented a realistic schedule. Maybe a week or 10 days to study and then continue with the vote. And if he would have received another +30 majority Brexit could have been done by mid November.

Wait, wait, rush, rush, and then wait again. Why? Was he scared that parliament would have time to look at the details?

What happened with Get Brexit done? Why doesn't he get it done now?

 

Somehow it looks like now he does not want his own deal anymore. It looks like he wants a majority for no deal. Stange.

 

And then it seems lot of people would still vote for this serial liar. Why does anybody trust this guy who promised so many things which he didn't deliver?

Hopefully he will find a ditch at the end of this month.

[melvinmelvin]

10 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

What happend to Boris urgency? After he waited for weeks he pushed the EU to agree to a deal within days. The EU worked overtime and they did what he wanted. And then he let parliament decide and he won the first vote for his Brexit deal with +30 votes. Why didn't he just continue from there?

He wanted to do it rush rush in 3 days. That was obviously too fast for everybody to read the details. Boris could have presented a realistic schedule. Maybe a week or 10 days to study and then continue with the vote. And if he would have received another +30 majority Brexit could have been done by mid November.

Wait, wait, rush, rush, and then wait again. Why? Was he scared that parliament would have time to look at the details?

What happened with Get Brexit done? Why doesn't he get it done now?

 

Somehow it looks like now he does not want his own deal anymore. It looks like he wants a majority for no deal. Stange.

 

And then it seems lot of people would still vote for this serial liar. Why does anybody trust this guy who promised so many things which he didn't deliver?

Hopefully he will find a ditch at the end of this month.

 

yes, stange indeed

 

pitty Downing Street ain't equipped with ditches/trenches

 

politicians could fall into 'em

pass out in 'em

being thrown into 'em after having passed out

hide their dirty underwear in 'em

fight their latest political crazes in 'em

 

omni useful these ditches as long as you keep the dirty water and litter in the gutters

and not crapping down the ditches with it

 

[Jip99]

6 minutes ago, melvinmelvin said:

 

yes, stange indeed

 

pitty Downing Street ain't equipped with ditches/trenches

 

politicians could fall into 'em

pass out in 'em

being thrown into 'em after having passed out

hide their dirty underwear in 'em

fight their latest political crazes in 'em

 

omni useful these ditches as long as you keep the dirty water and litter in the gutters

and not crapping down the ditches with it

 

 

Melvin.......put the cork back in the bottle........ now.

[MartinsAlmeida]

It's postponed again till the end of January 2020.

[Bruntoid]

2 hours ago, ratcatcher said:

No mention has been made as to whether Boris has found a comfortable ditch in which to lie, having failed to deliver Brexit, do or die, no ifs ands or buts Brexit on Oct 31st come what (Theresa ) May. 

Like he’s not a proven liar ? 

[Bruntoid]

2 hours ago, JonnyF said:

The circus is nearing the end and they know it.

 

Remainer MP's are currently begging Bercow to stay on. He's loving it, lots of fake humility. A Sad spectacle for British democracy.

Yet strangely it’s undemocratic to give a confirmatory vote to a democracy that didn’t have a clue what the implications would be for their vote over THREE years ago ? 
 

You keep banging on about democracy, you’re fooling no one.  

[Bruntoid]

Bookies latest 10/11 Tory majority, 11/10 no majority - ie too close to call 

 

Is Cummings about to drop yet another clanger ? 

[beautifulthailand99]

Talk of a Remain Alliance with no-hope Labour /Lib Dem / Plaid / Green standing down for the strongest anti-Tory candidate in some constituencies. Brexit Party can chip away at Tory vote in key marginals they need to win for a majority. Johnson no hope in Liverpool / London. Liverpool returns 15 mps with just one Tory with a 2500 majority. 

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Parliamentary_constituencies_in_Merseyside

 

https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/boris-johnson-liverpool-tory-leadership-16353256

 

Talking about the attitudes of Liverpudlians, the article added: “The extreme reaction to Mr Bigley's murder is fed by the fact that he was a Liverpudlian. Liverpool is a handsome city with a tribal sense of community.

"A combination of economic misfortune — its docks were, fundamentally, on the wrong side of England when Britain entered what is now the European Union — and an excessive predilection for welfarism have created a peculiar, and deeply unattractive, psyche among many Liverpudlians.

"They see themselves whenever possible as victims, and resent their victim status; yet at the same time they wallow in it.”

 

73 constituencies in London 

Only 5 had a majority for LEAVE.

 

London overall:

REMAIN - 59.9% (2.3 million votes) LEAVE - 40.1% (1.5 million votes)

https://www.itv.com/news/london/2016-06-24/at-a-glance-how-london-voted-in-the-eu-referendum/

 

Just look at some of the  Tory majorities that could be damaged by Remain Alliance tactics / Brexit Party pincer movement. 

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Parliamentary_constituencies_in_London

 

This is a great site for the poll of polls. 

 

https://britainelects.com/

 

Johnson majority isn't unnaisable in his Uxbridge constituency if Green / Lib Dem stand down 

 

https://news.sky.com/story/could-a-local-working-class-kid-unseat-boris-johnson-at-the-next-election-11828825

 

Everything to play for.......game on 

 

https://unherd.com/2019/09/how-not-to-blow-the-next-election/

 

I'll be in Thailand for the election (damn!) so am registering for postal votes even though our local MP has 65% of the vote so no way will he lose !

 

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/apply-for-a-postal-vote

 

General election 2017: Uxbridge and South Ruislip^[11][12]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Conservative	Boris Johnson	23,716	50.8	+0.6
	Labour	Vincent Lo	18,682	40.0	+13.6
	Liberal Democrat	Rosina Robson	1,835	3.9	-1.0
	UKIP	Lizzy Kemp	1,577	3.4	-10.8
	Green	Mark Keir	884	1.9	-1.3
Majority			5,034	10.8	-13.1
Turnout			46,694	66.8	+3.4
Registered electors			69,936
	Conservative hold		Swing	-6.5

 

Edited October 29, 2019 by beautifulthailand99

[tebee]

6 hours ago, OneMoreFarang said:

What happend to Boris urgency? After he waited for weeks he pushed the EU to agree to a deal within days. The EU worked overtime and they did what he wanted. And then he let parliament decide and he won the first vote for his Brexit deal with +30 votes. Why didn't he just continue from there?

He wanted to do it rush rush in 3 days. That was obviously too fast for everybody to read the details. Boris could have presented a realistic schedule. Maybe a week or 10 days to study and then continue with the vote. And if he would have received another +30 majority Brexit could have been done by mid November.

Wait, wait, rush, rush, and then wait again. Why? Was he scared that parliament would have time to look at the details?

What happened with Get Brexit done? Why doesn't he get it done now?

 

Somehow it looks like now he does not want his own deal anymore. It looks like he wants a majority for no deal. Stange.

 

And then it seems lot of people would still vote for this serial liar. Why does anybody trust this guy who promised so many things which he didn't deliver?

Hopefully he will find a ditch at the end of this month.

Everything in brexit has been rushed, starting with the Art 50 notice. Trying to rush a major constitutional change without  proper planning was never going to work.

 

All these people who are so impatient to get brexit done are the reason it will never get done.

[Sandy Freckle]

Was there ever more of an opportunity for a democratic country to un-shoot itself in the foot ?
Hang about y'all, when is it likely the yanks will go to their version of the polls ?...., haaaaa, never was a supposedly free and enlightened democracy more fooled by such a room temperature iq(lower case entirely applicable).

 

Edited October 29, 2019 by Sandy Freckle

[melvinmelvin]

11 minutes ago, tebee said:

Everything in brexit has been rushed, starting with the Art 50 notice. Trying to rush a major constitutional change without  proper planning was never going to work.

 

All these people who are so impatient to get brexit done are the reason it will never get done.

 

Well, your first sentence, I don't agree - not particularly rushed.

 

rush const change  without proper planning DO AGREE

 

your last sentence, you just might be right with that,

wouldn't surprise me at all if the whole Brexit effort went down the drains

 

wonder how the plebs would take that

 

 

 

[OneMoreFarang]

2 hours ago, tebee said:

All these people who are so impatient to get brexit done are the reason it will never get done.

I wouldn't bet that it will never get done.

But I am sure it will never happen in the way politicians promised it.

There are so many hidden motives and all the things which they don't want to say to the public but which at least some politicians have clearly in their mind.

And then some people still think politicians are supposed to work for the people, all the people, and not just a few. Amazing!

[Baerboxer]

16 hours ago, oldhippy said:

And the Brexit circus continues.

 

I think Europeans are lucky that the EU politicians did not get sucked into the British swamp (sorry for the Trumpish language).

 

You seriously think the EU isn't a swamp?

[sawadee1947]

18 hours ago, OneMoreFarang said:

What happend to Boris urgency? After he waited for weeks he pushed the EU to agree to a deal within days. The EU worked overtime and they did what he wanted. And then he let parliament decide and he won the first vote for his Brexit deal with +30 votes. Why didn't he just continue from there?

He wanted to do it rush rush in 3 days. That was obviously too fast for everybody to read the details. Boris could have presented a realistic schedule. Maybe a week or 10 days to study and then continue with the vote. And if he would have received another +30 majority Brexit could have been done by mid November.

Wait, wait, rush, rush, and then wait again. Why? Was he scared that parliament would have time to look at the details?

What happened with Get Brexit done? Why doesn't he get it done now?

 

Somehow it looks like now he does not want his own deal anymore. It looks like he wants a majority for no deal. Stange.

 

And then it seems lot of people would still vote for this serial liar. Why does anybody trust this guy who promised so many things which he didn't deliver?

Hopefully he will find a ditch at the end of this month.

Well, you're right. 

BJ is a gambler. He waits for the outcome of the election hoping to see a majority in Parliament to pass his deal even the deal is not good. 

There will be no choice. 

I hope that the Brits will know about the importance of the coming election making everybody running to the Poll's Box. 

There is always a lot of Thai bashing on TV. And many are saying "you can't cure stupidity ".

Obviously there are many similarities between Thai and Brits. ????

 

[oldhippy]

10 hours ago, Baerboxer said:

 

You seriously think the EU isn't a swamp?

In comparison to the ideal world? YES!

In comparison to the British swamp? NO!

 

 

[tebee]

On 10/29/2019 at 10:32 PM, melvinmelvin said:

 

Well, your first sentence, I don't agree - not particularly rushed.

 

rush const change  without proper planning DO AGREE

 

your last sentence, you just might be right with that,

wouldn't surprise me at all if the whole Brexit effort went down the drains

 

wonder how the plebs would take that

 

 

 

I'm sorry invoke article 50 with no idea what sort of brexit we wanted, was the stupidest move in this while sorry  senario.  Why start a timebomb ticking down without working out what you wanted to replace  the system it destroyed? Doing that destined Brexit to failure.

 

It handed the EU all the cards, put pressure on us to come up with something quickly before the bomb exploded. We could have used the threat to invoke it to wrench concessions  from the EU in how the negotiations would be run, once it was invoked the EU could, and did, take charge of the negotiations to their advantage.  

 

Invoking it was bad enough, to invoke it without a plan was tantamount was irresponsible to the point of being treasonable. We spend most of those two years coming up the the Checkers plan, which was then roundly rejected by all and sundry.

 

I can only assume that brexiters believed their own rhetoric about how easy it would all be.