Boris Johnson was asked in his interview with Laura Kuenssberg what he would do if parliament rejected his request for a general election on 12th December, and this was his reply -
"We would campaign day after day for the people of this country to be released from subjection to a Parliament that has outlived its usefulness."
In other words, he would campaign for the people of this country to be "released from subjection" to the result of the 2017 general election, which under the law of the land was intended to be binding until May 2022. He's also saying that the democratic verdict of voters in that election is no longer "useful". Can you imagine the blind fury that the SNP or other Yes campaigners would encounter if they said "we demand that the people of Scotland be released from subjection to the result of the 2014 independence referendum, which has outlived its usefulness"? Maybe we should try that line and see how far we get. Come to think of it, how would Johnson himself react if People's Vote campaigners asked to be released from subjection to the result of the "useless" 2016 EU referendum?
My prediction only an hour ago that the election motion would pass on Monday already seems to be well on the way to being proved wrong, largely because Johnson's "offer" to reintroduce the withdrawal agreement bill in return for an election is being (understandably) interpreted in some quarters as more of a threat. There's arguably now a clear incentive for the Liberal Democrats to resist a December election, because it would be a strategic disaster for them if Britain has officially left the EU before polling day - their "stop Brexit" message would have been overtaken by events.
* * *
UPDATE: Unlike the Lovatts of this world I've never believed that betting markets are a predictive God, but for what it's worth punters currently seem to think there's a slightly less than 50% chance of Johnson getting his way and an election being called by the end of the year.
It would be utter madness for the opposition parties - all of them - not to roll the dice on a General Election now. Avoiding one only gives Johnson more time and space to ram his deal through on the backs of Labour Leavers. And once it's through, he'll ride the misplaced goodwill of the public to a supermajority. Needless to say that would be disastrous for Labour and the Lib-Dems, but I hardly think it would be ideal either for the SNP to be facing a Prime Minister who has even less respect for democratic norms than his predecessor, shortly after he's been galvanised by a hundred extra seats.
ReplyDeleteAvoiding an early GE has already backfired hideously for the opposition parties in recent months. If they're stupid enough to delay and make the same mistake twice, then they deserve all that is coming to them.
It's just a shame that the public will have to go down with them.
I'm unsure what this Laura Kuenssberg character does. Is she:
ReplyDeletea) govt spokesperson;
b) lobbyist;
c) journalist;
d) mentor?
I think that she could be a second cousin of Douglas Carswell of the squinty face. Just found out that Bill Cash is a distant relative of Johnny Cash. Not sure that I was ready for that.
DeleteI hear Theresa May is the former groupie of Queen musician, Brian May. She's a randy rock chick hiding behind a snooty headmistress facade.
DeleteHaving a general election will get rid of the Brexit impasse. The politicians who say we want a deal are liars and hypocrites. They are intent on keeping us in the corrupt EU and theirlies The majority said they would respect the referendum result but they were lying and only posturing to keep their jobs. The Jocko Nat sis are just EU crawling scum but labor will suffer for their lies. They will see just how stupid the working classes are when they they give them the boot.
ReplyDeleteBless.
DeleteRichard Leonard on QT tonight.
ReplyDeleteDid he really not mention Scotland once. Missed the start so maybe wrong.
Scotland wants not to be a nation but an EU dependency with a status less than Gibralter so not worth a mention. Leonard is a remainer and EU groveller like the Scottish Nat sis.
DeleteYour anti-British hatred is quite something GWC.
DeleteI am still willing to fight Wings.
ReplyDeleteBut only if I get a uniform with a peaked cap and a lot of braid.
We're not treated as a nation in the UK. 59 MP's out of 650 falls just a wee bit short of a majority.
ReplyDeleteIndy in the EU means a fully empowered Holyrood minus England /UK's veto over us.
Also 12 or 15 MEP's with a seat at the top table.
Treated with blatant disdain/contempt/disrespect in this
disintegrating disfunctional UK.
Tough choice Eh? Not for me.
GWC thinks Scots should have to grovel for England's permission if they want independence. He loves being subservient to his London masters.
DeleteBy contrast, EU members are free to come and go as they please of course.
Scotland is cira 8% of the UK population, so has the correct number of MP's for its population.
DeleteUnless that number is 0. Of course, you could say the same about MEPs.
Delete@Anon.
DeleteYes, for an unequal state where the intent is that England dominates , the number of Scots MPs is correct.
In the EU by contrast, MEP numbers are adjusted to give small nations far more per head to they are not easily outvoted. There is also of course a 'one nation one vote' senate (Council) where little nations have the same clout as the big ones, meaning the can't be pushed around. Scots are seeing how incredibly powerful that is when watching Ireland and Brexit.
Ireland is dictating terms to the UK. It's quite something.
Makes how shit the UK is for Scotland really stark.
English share of population: 84.3% | percentage of seats 82% (-2.3%)
DeleteScotland share of population: 8.13%| percentage of seats 9.08% ((+0.95%)
Wales share of population: 4.67%| percentage of seats 6.15% (+1.48)
NI share of population: 2.86%| percentage of seats 2.77% (0.09)
So as you can see like the EU the Uk Parliment gives a higher proportion of seats than it should do to the smaller countries.
Also the veto is only used in a very small minority of decisions, the most have no veto. Scotland has a veto on a huge range of areas such as policing and other devolved areas.
Can you also point to the specific piece of legislation that says that Scotland needs England's permission to leave the union please?
Scotland has no legally enforceable "veto" on anything whatsoever, whereas the English-dominated UK Parliament can override any devolved Scottish decision at will. If this is a surprise to you, you must have slept through the Supreme Court case last year.
DeleteAnd by reserving the constitution to Westminster, the Scotland Act 1998 ensures that Scotland needs the permission of the English-dominated parliament to leave the United Kingdom. (Under domestic law, I mean, obviously international law would view it differently.)
EU: One nation one vote
DeleteUK: England = 8 votes / Scot+NI+Wales = 2 votes
To state the Scotland needs "permission of the English-dominated parliament to leave the United Kingdom" is just a huge big fat smelly untruth.
DeleteWe had a vote in 2014 and we voted to stay in the UK, and it was the voting majority of the Scottish electorate that ensured we didn't leave the United Kingdom, not an "English dominated parliament."
There has been 103 BPC recognised polls since September 2014, and only one (that's *1*) had a majority to leave, and that was at the giddy heights of 51%
Tell you what, regain the 21 seats, the 480,000 votes and the overall majority in Holyrood, get polling up to 55%-60% on a regular basis THEN ask for indyref2, you might get a better response. Until then, it ain't gonna happen.
Ah, so THAT'S why you were trying to spread a false rumour the other day about the Ashcroft poll being a self-selecting internet poll - it wasn't innocent confusion, it's because you're a unionist propagandist. Mystery solved. Do stop wasting everybody's time, there's a good chap. The idea that the SNP will only have a proper mandate if they win 94.9% of Scottish seats is so barking mad that I'm almost embarrassed for you. And how is it even possible for these fantasy numbers to be trotted out? Isn't it because the English-dominated parliament can make up the 'rules' as it goes on and keep refusing permission for a referendum on the basis that some absurd hurdle hasn't been quite cleared? You've very neatly made my point for me, and disproved your own.
DeleteGeacher: Comment deleted. As I told you the other day, if you want to spread false rumours, take it elsewhere. The Ashcroft poll was NOT a self-selecting internet poll in which it was possible to "vote multiple times". I now believe you realise that and are lying deliberately.
DeleteMy Current Scottish PoP:
ReplyDeleteUKGE
43% SNP
22% Con
15% Lab
12% Lib
6% Brx
2% Grn
Indyref held tomorrow even if brexit is cancelled:
50.2% Yes
49.8% No
UKGE intention seems very stable.
DeleteSo, let me get this right...
ReplyDeleteJohnson forced Lizzie to do a Queens's speech, then straight afterwards, declared has has no confidence in his own government / it has run its course so it should be voted out of office.
The UK is a complete joke of a state.
Now they're claiming that English people are sovereign, that's not true and never has been, England was a Monarchy and ceded it's authority to the English parliament, that's why all this nonsense about Brexit must be done is drivel, parliament ignores the *will of the people* all the time when it suits it
ReplyDeleteThere are still idiots in England who think the Queen has authority, she doesn't, you can't claim to be a democracy and a Monarchy at the same time, both are diametrically opposed
New survey reveals hardening of attitudes.
ReplyDelete87% of SGP viewers now feel that it would be acceptable to use personal violence on GWC. And 34% are up for a square go with Wings.
Polling conducted 20-21 Oct.
Copyright: President Jamez Polls, 2019
Meanwhile The Rev has retweeted:
YouGov
Verified account @YouGov
3h3 hours ago
What's more Marmite than Marmite?
Mrs Brown’s Boys, Twiglets, Simon Cowell and 11 other things, according to our new YouGov Ratings study on what Brits are most divided over
----------------
It was then that he asked "When will I, will I, be famous?"
87%? Is that all?
DeleteSkier did you get buried with Franco yesterday?
ReplyDeleteGWC's last request is to be buried in the Valley Of The Kinks.
DeleteOn a lazy Sunny Afternoon!
Delete:D
ReplyDeleteI thought he was talking about the European parliament.....
Never crossed my mind he was telling us the parliament, over which he serves as prime minister is useless.
:D
Hypocritical? It's just flat out hysterical.
We have been subjected to his useless parliament for far to long, one might say subjugated.