Can a no-deal/hard Brexit be stopped?
Sadly, it's not looking likely after Boris Johnson just suspended Parliament until right up to the Brexit deadline.
There is not a democratic mandate to do this. A no-deal/hard Brexit has never had majority public support and the referendum result of 2016 includes those who voted for a soft Brexit. Even Nigel Farage himself advocated the 'Norway option' during the referendum campaign. Mr Johnson himself has no parliamentary majority for this move and he has not himself won a general election. What he does have though, is strong ideological control of the majority of his own party and ambiguities in our unwritten constitution means he can carry out this move which is perhaps (arguably) within the letter of the law, though fundamentally against it's spirit.
What sparked our Prime Minister into this nuclear option was the fact that opposition to his Brexit plans in Parliament was finally and belatedly coming together. The opposition to no-deal Brexit commands majority support in the Parliament and the country but is internally divided. Two weeks ago, the Liberal Democrats and moderate Tories refused an offer from Jeremy Corby, the Labour leader, to make him an interim PM to stop a no-deal Brexit. However, the opposition parties have met over the past few days to smoke their peace pipes and looked like they were getting to together a viable to postpone Brexit.
It's clear that there will be another general election soon because the Conservative party has no clear majority and because there is no majority for Brexit. Johnson and his people have been very cynical and ruthless here though in their determination to carry out hard Brexit by 'whatever means necessary'. Rumours are that there could be an election straight after Brexit, after the decision has been made but before the consequences hit. Johnson is counting that the Tory base and Brexit ultras will vote for him and that opposition is divided enough to make him PM again. This is damaging for the country in so many ways but time is running out.
There is not a democratic mandate to do this. A no-deal/hard Brexit has never had majority public support and the referendum result of 2016 includes those who voted for a soft Brexit. Even Nigel Farage himself advocated the 'Norway option' during the referendum campaign. Mr Johnson himself has no parliamentary majority for this move and he has not himself won a general election. What he does have though, is strong ideological control of the majority of his own party and ambiguities in our unwritten constitution means he can carry out this move which is perhaps (arguably) within the letter of the law, though fundamentally against it's spirit.
What sparked our Prime Minister into this nuclear option was the fact that opposition to his Brexit plans in Parliament was finally and belatedly coming together. The opposition to no-deal Brexit commands majority support in the Parliament and the country but is internally divided. Two weeks ago, the Liberal Democrats and moderate Tories refused an offer from Jeremy Corby, the Labour leader, to make him an interim PM to stop a no-deal Brexit. However, the opposition parties have met over the past few days to smoke their peace pipes and looked like they were getting to together a viable to postpone Brexit.
It's clear that there will be another general election soon because the Conservative party has no clear majority and because there is no majority for Brexit. Johnson and his people have been very cynical and ruthless here though in their determination to carry out hard Brexit by 'whatever means necessary'. Rumours are that there could be an election straight after Brexit, after the decision has been made but before the consequences hit. Johnson is counting that the Tory base and Brexit ultras will vote for him and that opposition is divided enough to make him PM again. This is damaging for the country in so many ways but time is running out.
41-45, M
