Boris gets out the gunboat

THE TORY way of doing foreign policy used to be to send out the British Navy to resolve any disputes with other countries by firing a few cannon – or threatening to do. New Tory Prime Minister Boris Johnson has taken a leaf out of their book, in an attempt to secure Brexit – by any means necessary.

Since he took over at the helm, Boris Johnson has been set on getting Britain to leave the EU – fulfilling the mandate of David Cameron’s in/out reference as well as his own hopes. But how’s he going to do it?

For weeks there have been two rumours: that Boris was going to suspend Parliament (so that it could not vote to stop a no-deal Brexit) and/or that he was going to hold a General Election (which would have the effect of dismissing Parliament, so that it could not vote to stop a no-deal Brexit). Opposition MPs have been rallying round, planning on putting legislation through Parliament preventing a “no deal” Brexit – and stopping Boris in his tracks.

Now we know that he’s come up with a cunning plan: to suspend Parliament on the pretext of announcing his programme of legislation, which will be delivered in a Queen’s Speech – and which will minimise the time available to opposition MPs to stop Brexit. It’s the 21st century equivalent of the gunboat – but this gunboat is aimed at his own people.

Boris insists it’s quite normal to suspend Parliament before a Queen’s Speech. That may be the case, but it’s not normal to hold a Queen’s Speech so soon before a major decision like Brexit. Much as Boris has blustered about how well intentioned his move is – it is transparently a manoeuvre.

It is, therefore, not surprising that the announcement that Boris had asked the Queen to suspend (“prorogue”, to use the jargon) Parliament has provoked widespread opposition – from grassroots Remainers through Owen Jones up to John Bercow, Speaker of the House of Commons, who has broken with the convention of political neutrality to call the move a “constitutional outrage” aimed at securing a political outcome with which Parliament may not agree.

The armchair remainers have opened a Parliamentary Petition demanding that Parliament not be prorogued unless or until Brexit has been delayed or cancelled. It has already gained enough support to commit Parliament to debating it – but if the Queen does suspend Parliament, there may not be time to hold the debate before Brexit, and it would probably not be binding on the Government even if MPs passed the motion.

The street activists have decided not to wait for a debate and intend to meet up outside the House of Commons from 5.30pm today – calling for the people to “Defend Democracy – Resist the Parliament Shutdown”.

Take your pick – or do both.

Funny, isn’t it? They told us electing Jeremy Corbyn would be tantamount to having a coup. Now it turns out the politician prepared to stage a coup is actually Tory Boris Johnson.

•To sign the petitition, go to:
Petition

•For more information on the protest, go to:
Protest

•Read more about it:
Brexit-Boris badmouths the burqa
Boris: “ready to bomb Syria”