And there's more...sense of fatalism.

Just as in 1914, the Brexit buildup is making calamity feel inevitable.

Even with a century of hindsight it is impossible to discern a point of no return, a junction at which all future paths, by whatever gradient or circuitous route, converged on disaster. If history doesn’t afford that view, how are we to know in real time when such a moment is close, or has been passed?...

...We are transfixed by frenzy on the stage before us: manoeuvres in anticipation of a no-confidence vote. We suppose that all possible routes are still open. Pro-Europeans must hope that there is a way back, that it is not a just a choice of gradient on the downward slide. Yet I sense fatalism creeping into formerly strident anti-Brexit voices. I glimpse shudders of dread that events are being driven not by the MPs who will vote in the coming weeks but by a critical mass of cowardice, ignorance and ideological prejudice that was reached months ago, maybe years.

The past is harrying the present. — Rafael Behr

Boris Johnson wants Ireland to leave EU trade rules and form a new union with the UK instead after Brexit

@Baden

I guess he's trying to outdo Trump's attempt to buy Greenland for absurdity. In which case, mission accomplished.

Boris Johnson asks Queen to suspend Parliament

Exciting times, huh.
There's a petition against this - linked in the Guardian Politics Live BTL comments.
But what good will it do.

Its text reads: “Parliament must not be prorogued or dissolved unless and until the article 50 period has been sufficiently extended or the UK’s intention to withdraw from the EU has been cancelled.”

https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/269157

Off with his head, I say.

Britain Trump has said that suggestions the suspension was motivated by a desire to force through a no deal were "completely untrue".

According to a notorious liar, everything is fine.

So, what do the Brits here think about Boris extending the Parliamentary leave?

Bit of a Trump move, I'd say.

... maybe the tourism industry will be OK?

Boris is out-Nigelling Nigel in order to neutralise the Brexit party (his biggest electoral threat) before the inevitable snap election. Fun and games for him. Not so much for the British public.

I thought the British political establishment was a bit more serious about respecting its own institutions. I thought wrong.

So we have an advisory referendum and a Parliament that's totally within its rights not to follow it despite political promises made by some political parties. Now, as far as I know Parliament as a whole is not against Brexit, just a no-deal Brexit.

Boris maintains a large majority voted in favour of Brexit (statistically, the vote was basically split) and now blames the constitutional crisis he wrought on Parliament because according to him everybody against a no-deal Brexit is anti-Brexit.

He lies less obviously than Trum, but he still lies.

Questions for the Brits: can the Queen refuse Boris' request for the longer leave?

Questions for the Brits: can the Queen refuse Boris' request for the longer leave? — Benkei

She's already granted it.

But, no, she couldn't have.

But, no, she couldn't have. — Michael

One might have said that you can't suspend parliament for a month during an urgent crisis to prevent it from exercising its will. I think she could have, and it would have been rather interesting to pit the brexit sovereignty thing against the monarchist thing. It seems to me that if a constitutional monarch has a function beyond the decorative, it is to occupy the space that a dictator needs. That must mean at some extreme the possibility to intervene against a leader even against precedent. Perhaps we have yet to reach that extreme...

When even the FT is anti tory, it is clear they are completely mad.

https://www.ft.com/content/9dbc7852-c9b2-11e9-af46-b09e8bfe60c0

I’m seriously worried that it might end up in fisticuffs. Or worse. I don’t know who these ‘brexiteers’ are, but I sense they’re real bastards.

What do I think about the proroguing of parliament by Johnson ?
Johnson is a sly, self-serving, lying prick who is in a position of power, as PM, placed there by a group of extreme Tories.That in itself is wrong but legal.
It gets even madder. How will it end ? Hopefully, peacefully using appropriate legal and political process. However, I expect civil unrest will turn to passionate protests. Any sign of violence will be met with the full force of the law...

First up, court challenges:

Proroguing parliament is unlawful abuse of power, court told
MPs seek interdiction in Scotland as challenges also filed in Belfast and London

Boris Johnson’s decision to prorogue parliament is an unlawful abuse of power, a Scottish court has heard in the first of three legal challenges.

Aidan O’Neill QC, acting for a cross-party group of 75 MPs and peers, told a court in Edinburgh that the prime minister had trampled on more than 400 years of constitutional law by asking the Queen to prorogue parliament solely for political gain...

...Whichever side loses in the parallel cases is expected to appeal immediately, and the cases will soon be heard by the supreme court, potentially grouped together.

It is the first time in UK legal history the Queen’s decision to prorogue a Westminster parliament has been challenged in court. — Severin Carrell and Lisa O'Carroll

A flow diagram follows, showing future possibilities
'Where next for Brexit?'

Well, if this is pro rogue, I'd hate to see amateur rogue.

Bo Jo goes rogue with prorogue.

Thank god the Irish and Brits can think of a fitting pun.

:smile:

Just wait till they burst out in song.
'Do you hear the people sing ?' - Les Miserables.

https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/les-miserables-hong-kong-protests-do-you-hear-the-people-sing-musical-a9081401.html

It's not good to be perogied?

I thought the British political establishment was a bit more serious about respecting its own institutions. I thought wrong. — Benkei

The British political establishment is not the Tory party. The rest of it, with the exception of the DUP, is up in arms. And of course, there are some even within the Tory party who are up in arms, too, like the former Chancellor, Phillip Hammond.

Bo Jo goes rogue with prorogue. — Michael

Next up - Gove.

Gove, who is in charge of planning for no deal, did not commit to abide by any law which rebel MPs will attempt to pass this week that could mandate an extension to article 50 in the event of no deal...

...The shadow chancellor, John McDonnell, said Gove’s hints that the government may ignore legislation was a major escalation. “The Tory attack on our democracy is getting worse. Gove has just refused to confirm.. that the government will accept legislation passed by Parliament,” he tweeted.

“This is a startling move beyond anything we’ve ever seen. Johnson government is becoming an elective dictatorship.”

...Scotland’s first minister Nicola Sturgeon said it was a “dangerous time for democracy” when ministers could not answer yes or no to whether they would abide by the law. “Not so much prorogue as just plain rogue,” she tweeted. “We mustn’t allow this behaviour to be normalised.”
— Jessica Elgot

'Rogue' is too light a term. Even if fun :roll: to play with...
Cuddly rascal Boris :naughty:

U-turning faster than you can shout, "Get off of my fucking laptop!"

Yeah. Bastards all.
Especially Sajid David, current chancellor, who campaigned to be Tory leader with these words:
'You don’t deliver on democracy by trashing democracy'.

In the exchange, Wallace accused parliament of being “awful at saying what it wants”, but “very good at saying what it doesn’t want”. He then goes on to say that:

"So, you know, eventually any leader has to… try"

He concedes that he doesn’t know what the outcome of “it” will be and breaks down laughing. He continues, after regaining his composure, saying “[inaudible] politics”. Later in the exchange, he then appears to explain why “it” had to happen:

"...we’ve suddenly found ourselves with no majority and a coalition and that’s not easy for our [political] system."


The government has since argued that Wallace “misspoke” in the conversation. Clearly he did. Because the minister did the unspeakable: he gave credence to people’s suspicions. He suggested that Johnson has done “it” – the proroguing of parliament – due to the precarious position of his minority government in regards to Brexit. Furthermore, Wallace’s behaviour suggests the cabinet thinks the whole thing is funny:

https://www.thecanary.co/trending/2019/08/29/defence-minister-is-caught-on-camera-spilling-the-unspeakable-beans-about-boris-johnson/?fbclid=IwAR1K_X-kRiiLNqdQutzE3X7ZfGum3D_aU0UcS0fqWuuMxr66ND_zJdbmR-Y

Does anyone know when the next general election will be?

Remember Remember the 1st of November.

It is putting party before country all the way, down. The problem is the hard brexiters within the Tory party see no other way out. If we don't leave without a deal they will implode with a viscous fight within thelmselves and electoral oblivion, it will buoy up the Brexit party if this happens, but only temporarily and then they will hang around on the margins for a generation or so, being a one issue party, on an issue which has been decided. We will gradually all get back to normal and restore the "good chap", method of government.

The biggest travesty is that the Queen was drawn into the deceit, had she not agreed to prorogue, she would have entered the fray and the Tory's would have savaged her. The distinguished historian Peter Henesey said on Friday, "on the 27th of August in the library of Balmoral, the good chap theory of government broke apart at the feet of the Queen." This is the treason and I will be taking it up with the headmaster of Eton college.

The government has since argued that Wallace “misspoke” in the conversation. Clearly he did. Because the minister did the unspeakable: he gave credence to people’s suspicions. He suggested that Johnson has done “it” – the proroguing of parliament – due to the precarious position of his minority government in regards to Brexit. Furthermore, Wallace’s behaviour suggests the cabinet thinks the whole thing is funny:

I saw the video but this isn't a necessary conclusion from what he said. As a whole, it could be interpreted as explaining why BoJo opted for such an extreme measure as the only way to break the impasse that exists in Parliament.

Does anyone know when the next general election will be? — Evil

We are being prepped for one soon. Amidst all this turmoil.

Nigel Farage, leader of The Brexit Party, exhorts his troops at campaign rallies, shouting:
'I am ready. We are ready. Are you ready ?'
You know they are.

'Ready' is the key word.

The public is being readied for the Hard Brexit, come what may:
The government has set in motion the ‘Get ready for Brexit’ campaign, costing the taxpayers £100m.

According to newspaper reports, if Johnson loses his majority as a consequence of Tory rebellion then an election will be imminent.
Then what...?
If the opposition can't get their act together, then...we are doomed to more of the same.
Perhaps even if they get their act together. The outlook is not promising...

The Guardian leads with “Johnson ready to sacrifice majority by withdrawing whip from rebels”.
The Telegraph has “PM warns rebel MPs: back me or be sacked”.
The Times’headline is “I’ll kick you out of the party, Johnson tells Tory rebels”.

The FT zeroes in on what a Corbyn government might do: “Labour would cost UK companies £300bn by shifting shares to staff”, as it predicts an election is “likely” amid Brexit turmoil. — The Guardian's Monday Briefing