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So much for democracy!

(18 Posts)
notentirelyallhere Sun 25-Aug-19 09:57:02

If you only have a majority of one in Parliament just close it down to get your policies through.

Boris Johnson seeks legal advice on five-week parliament closure ahead of Brexit

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/aug/24/johnson-seeks-legal-advice-parliament-closure

jura2 Sun 25-Aug-19 09:59:48

This is absolutely diabolical - could not believe my eyes when I read that.

But let him try, and he will have a true Revolution on his hands - that will start right in the House of Commons- well MPs who will find somewhere else to meet if prevented from entering the House. It could turn very very nasty indeed.

Democracy - oh my sad

WadesNan Sun 25-Aug-19 10:27:24

Or could it be he asked his aides for information and advice to cover all eventualities and this is just one of them?

MaizieD Sun 25-Aug-19 10:47:12

No PM should be considering bypassing parliament to implement their (i.e the PM's) will. In theory this violates our constitution which makes Parliament paramount. The Executive (the 'government') should be subject to it.

This is what Charles 1st tried to do in 1641/2. It didn't end well for him, as I recall.

However, Gina Miller has been advised, by a government official, that it isn't possible. Letter is here:

chuffed.org/project/prevent-nodeal-brexit

Sorry, I can't copy and paste from it as it's in image format. If you don't like Miller but want to see what the advice is I'm afraid you'll just have to hold your nose...

paddyann Sun 25-Aug-19 11:05:22

There is no democracy at Westminster ,the rest of the UK hasn't realised that until now .

jura2 Sun 25-Aug-19 11:44:03

Thanks for this link Maizie- reassuring. As said, if he does try, hope HRH will stop him anyhow.

FarNorth Sun 25-Aug-19 12:13:00

BJ has always got his own way by looking gormless and flopping his hair a bit.
Why would he think it won't work now?

jura2 Sun 25-Aug-19 12:14:54

I don't care about what HE thinks - but I am very sure it won't work- as the revolt would be massive.

mostlyharmless Sun 25-Aug-19 18:00:56

As Johnson has always wanted to be PM, I would have thought he wouldn’t want to be remembered as the PM who closed down Parliament a few weeks into his Premiership,when he couldn’t get his own way.

What a legacy as PM! Failing to get a deal with EU, then forcing his No Deal through by unprincipled methods. He would lose all respect at home and round the world.

I don’t like Johnson at all, but I can’t believe he would be quite that stupid. As Prime Minister, his reputation is everything.

jura2 Mon 26-Aug-19 12:07:40

17.4 million voted to Leave in 2016. Only about 15.9 million are still alive now!

and millions are now of age to vote, and would make sure they do. And Johnson and Brexiteers are fully aware of this when they shout 'Democracy'

Jabberwok Tue 27-Aug-19 12:10:18

It's the vote at the time that counts, otherwise you could argue that a vote for a GE or anything else could change three years down the line and that it needs to be done again, just to make sure it's still the same!! Two years later it could all change back again! How do you know these figures? Have you a crystal ball? Another referendum of course can be fixed, but a GE is more difficult and may not give you the answer you want!!

Jabberwok Tue 27-Aug-19 12:11:40

Some remainers could also be dead!!!

Whitewavemark2 Tue 27-Aug-19 12:12:39

One question would like answered is how much democracy depends on the government telling parliament and the voter the truth?

Jabberwok Tue 27-Aug-19 12:48:49

Both sides told lies! President Obama being wheeled in by DC to tell us all about back of the queue! Not US business and completely untrue as it turned out! Parliament agreeing to the terms of the referendum when they should have queried it! Lots of shenanigans on both sides, but you can't have a re run because people might have died!! would this be the case had the result been the other way round?! Of course not! there has to be a point when a result has to be ok, you. you can't keep contesting every two or three years because you don't like the result!!

varian Tue 27-Aug-19 13:12:47

Completely true that we would be at the back of the queue if a no deal brexit is not stopped. Nancy Pelosi has made that utterly clear. Trump would have no control of that decision.

humptydumpty Tue 27-Aug-19 13:53:10

Hopefully the opponents of no deal will be successful now they've all agreed an approach:

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-49483374

growstuff Tue 27-Aug-19 13:58:29

Not "might have died" - they have died!

Nobody seriously disputes that the elderly were more likely to vote to leave and younger people (under 40) were more likely to vote to remain. It's obvious that more elderly people have died over the last three years than younger ones. I can't put an exact figure on the changes, but I can guarantee that the gap has narrowed considerably, even if the "Remainers" don't outnumber "Leavers", which they probably do.

By the way, we do have new elections every few years and people often do change their mind.

varian Wed 28-Aug-19 12:11:01

Former Conservative Party Chairman Chris Patten asks "Is Britain becoming a failed state?"-

Failed states used to be largely the preserve of the developing world, where the institutions of democracy do not have deep roots. But given the extent to which the Brexit campaign has undermined Britain's institutions through lies, it is reasonable to worry that the country will soon come to resemble a tinpot dictatorship.

www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/britain-brexit-failed-state-by-chris-patten-2019-08