Brexit Update – 5th September 2019
Today we had Boris Johnsons first Prime Minsters Questions. He stood up and floundered. He babbled and sounded like a faltering school boy shouting and gesticulating wildly as first Jeremy Corbyn and then others took him apart with their questions. His answers, if you can call them that, were predictable, filled with tired soundbites which have lost their meaning in the Brexit abyss.
Jeremy Corbyn delivered a brilliant performance which, like last night, was filled with facts and figures while he sought to hold Johnson to account for the mess the country now finds itself in. All Johnson could reply with was to tell everyone he didn’t want a General Election but if the #ResistanceBill passed then he would call one. Basically, what he was and continues to say is “if you try and tell me what to do I will throw my toys out of the pram”.
Question after question was evaded, response after response pointless. But then we came to one of the most important questions of the session. Labour MP Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi, passionately and clearly described various forms of racism he had witnessed and asked Johnson to apologise for his previous racist remarks, including his now infamous “letterbox” description of women in burkas, but to also start and complete an investigation into Islamophobia within the Tory party.
What was Johnson response? To deny anything he ever said was racist and that the article which contained the “letterbox” comment was in actual fact a liberal piece. What a load of crap. A simple “sorry if my comments caused offence” would have been fairly easy to say but to just deny everything and claim what he said was acceptable is just outrageous and caused yet more offense.
Moving on from PMQs we come to the #ResistanceBill. We had a notable speech from Hillary Benn making it clear the No Deal doesn’t end the uncertainty it maintains it, and he is right. No Deal takes us out of the EU but it doesn’t clear up the Irish border. It doesn’t state what our future trade relationship with the EU is. It doesn’t even state what our security partnership with the EU is. It doesn’t leave us with anything except years and years of more questions.
There were also the usual soundbites from the Tories about “no ifs, no buts” and “we must leave” and other pointless remarks. I’m really if the same old crap isn’t working at least try and make yourself be understood in some other fashion.
In the end we came to voting on the bill and the proposed amendments. The first amendment to the bill, basically said that Parliament didn’t need to approve a No Deal and that the PM had to ask for an extension for a deal whether a new one or Mays old deal. It failed miserably.
Then we moved onto the next one amendment six, this seeks to extend Article 50 in order to allow MPs to pass a deal based on previous talks between Labour and Tories. This passed in the strangest way. Basically, they couldn’t find someone to count the votes against the amendment, so it passed. Never heard of this happening before it was bizarre.
All the other amendments where quickly passed over or “macheted” apparently, before we came to the main vote on the now amended bill. This passed again to allow it to move onto the House of Lords. The vote was 329 for and 300 against. Yet another Tory MP voted against the Government. This time it was Dame Caroline Spelman.
She now looks set to be expelled from the Tory party like the other 21 rebels where from the previous round of votes on the 3rd September. This act of butchering the Tory MPs is just another example of Johnson either letting Cummings do what he wants or behaving like the Dictator he seems to want to be. Spelman is to be thanked for putting the Country before her Party and more importantly before herself and her career.
So, the Bill is now on it’s way to the House of Lords to be debated there, which needs to happen before it can gain Royal Assent and so become law. Johnson then once more steps up and loudly declares he wants an election. He challenges Corbyn, who was running all little late after the vote. He calls him a chicken and other such playground bullshit. This man is supposed to be running the country and this is as eloquent as he gets. Pathetic.
Kenneth Clarke then stands and dresses down the PM with a beautiful speech. There have been a few great speeches in the last two days but this one had me in stitches as Johnson sat in his seat with a sullen look on his face. It felt like a teacher explaining to a pupil how the world works while at the same time teaching him a lesson in humiliation and humility. Unfortunately, I don’t think the PM was really listening.
It won’t go into all the speeches but needless to say there were more soundbites from those backing the government and reiterations of the same points made earlier in the day from the opposition.
Once the debating was done the MPs, well some of them, voted again. To pass this motion under the Fixed Term Parliaments Act the PM required a 2/3 majority. He failed 298 backed another election, 56 voted against while 288 abstained.
To finish off the day Johnson continued his attack on Corbyn. He claimed the Opposition leader was running scared of an election and that he was only giving Corbyn what he had been asking for all along. But let’s face it we all know that’s nonsense. Corbyn, Blackford, Swinson, Lucas and others repeatedly pointed out that they want a General Election but not at the expense of a No Deal Brexit. They want it assured that No Deal can’t happen while Parliament is ended for the election, then they all had the same message, Bring It On!
So, here’s a quick summary of yesterday:
- Johnson’s first PMQs
- The #ResistanceBill has made it through the House of Commons and now lies with the House of Lords who will debate this, possibly for the next few days and nights.
- Another Tory PM, Dame Caroline Spelman rebelled against the Government and will probably be expelled from the Tory Party
- Johnson accused Corbyn of running scared of a General Election as he put forward a motion to have one on the 15th October. This was defeated in Parliament with it failed to command the require 2/3 majority
- An agreement of some sort was reached in the early hours that the Bill would not be held up in Lords meaning it will be finished their by 5pm on Friday
Today I’m sure will bring yet more intrigue and devious behaviour from the Government. Will the Bill be finished in the House of Lords by 5pm today as agreed? All eyes now fall on the House of Lords and their debate.
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