With the current Brexit Date 10 days away and with Boris Johnson still insistent that we’ll leave the EU on the 31st of October the situation is still unclear on what will happen.
Boris Johnson has been considered by many to be a buffoon without a hope of getting the previous deal reopened but against all the odds he managed it but he has come back with a deal Labour officially declare as worse than the previous deal as it’s considered to be a harder Brexit. This in itself was an unexpected feat and led to Jean-Claude Juncker has stated that he would oppose any further extension to Brexit even if requested.
On Saturday, the Commons sat for what was supposed to be a meaningful vote on the deal only for it to be hijacked by Oliver Letwin with an amendment attaching all the legislation to be agreed before the deal could be approved – effectively we’ll give the deal the nod but hold approval until the rest of the legislation is passed.
Mealy mouthed words from Letwin and co claiming it was to prevent the UK crashing out of the EU without a deal disguise the fact that the effect is once again to kick the Brexit decision down the road. The one consistent theme from Parliament is the inability to make a decision and to use the excuse of protecting the UK to do nothing. Saying you’ll then vote for the deal after delaying it doesn’t hide the fact you’ve just hijacked it and the strange thing with the Letwin amendment is while it was intended to prevent a no deal Brexit, it has in some ways had the opposite effect as if the EU refuse yet another extension the 31st of October is still the default day the UK leaves the EU.
The other impact is to open the deal up to a raft of amendments from all sides making it even more likely that Parliament will be unable to make a decision in the foreseeable future. Options include attaching amendments ranging from a customs union through to another referendum which would delay things for months – something that no one really wants. Many politicians still seem afraid to come straight out with a vote in Parliament to simply cancel Brexit hoping the can get some wording on a referendum and get the public to achieve this – Only the Lib Dems are willing to say this decisively, with Labour still nominally supporting some form of Brexit although many publicly say they’d then rally against, even any better deal they’d negotiate if they were in power, in favour of remain.
This forced Boris to write to the EU requesting an extension under the Benn Act, although as he couldn’t bring himself to sign the letter and sent a second letter (and a third was sent) spelling out that it is Parliament who want the extension and not the Government. There’s now a side case in the Scottish courts to see if he broke the law with his second letter to ‘frustrate’ the Act. The Benn Act set out the text of the letter but no where in the Act did it specify that it must be signed… but that’s largely irrelevant and the court case could be viewed as simply more mischief making by those desperate to subvert Brexit. The letter has had the intended effect as it will be put to the EU27 leaders to consider an extension.
Now, the Government will introduce the legislation needed to be passed before Brexit takes place and bring the deal back to the Commons, but that might well be blocked by the Speaker on the grounds that the same debate can’t be brought before the House twice in the same Parliamentary session.
Whatever happens next, expect a raft of amendments from all sides to the deal meaning it will probably either change beyond all recognition or be delayed for some time.
In the mean time, the EU stance has definitely shifted from a hope that perhaps the UK will change it’s mind and remain to an acceptance that the UK will be leaving and just wanting a deal to be done done. Much of the UK is fed up with the whole Brexit debacle and is desperate for some certainty with Boris’ deal bringing a sense of relief which has now been dashed. At the same time those who voted Remain are more vociferous than ever desperate to find a way to reverse the referendum of three years ago.
Remain or Leave is largely irrelevant to what business needs which is to move forward with certainty in some form, which is what Parliament has once again ensured can’t happen. We’ll be watching what happens with the Brexit Date 10 days away and don’t forget to sign up for our post 31st October pre Black Friday webinar where we’ll look at what’s happened, the current state of play and the best route forward for your cross border selling.
21 Responses
a general election to clear this bunch of pillocks out is the only answer
this is how civil unrest and riots start
what ever happens now some are not going to accept it
I heard a chap in a pub say.
100 MP’s were sat having a debate and one said they were cold. So asked to shut the door a few were hot so they had a vote.
The majority wanted the door closing so simple i hear you say’
Oh no.
The next vote was how to close it.
Slam it, shut it quietly, shut it fully, leave it ajar, half shut it, shut it for a while, shut it for the full meeting.
Then a vote to see if they really knew what the vote was about, another to decide if they knew what they had asked for, and another to see if they were sure that was what they wanted.
After 3 years someone said just shut the Bloody door.!!!!
It will not happen as MPs are not representing the people. They just do what they want that earns the big fat cheque and expenses.
Bottom line is Conservative party have totally screwed up the country.
PM calls a referendum which most were not calling for and which is not properly thought through. Loses and resigns.
New PM calls an unnecessary election and losses overall majority (no election and Brexit may well have been done). Tries to do Brexit and fails (due to ERG) – Resigns.
New PM loses his working majority tries to force through Brexit with large amounts of dishonesty and drives the country to the point where we are now.
What happened to dying in a ditch?
When the other parties stop playing the party politics game then maybe we can move on?
Libs want to totally write off the 17.4 million as mindless idiots. End of.
Labour just want to cause as much harm to the gov as possible, regardless of cost. They whine about what the Tories will do… yet at the same claim they will win the next election ( so how will the tories do it exactly?!)…. Yet they are to damn scared to agree to a election as they know they are toast.
Brexit party wants a no deal at any cost… happy to work with tories, but also happy to trash them for politcal gain.
SNP… Well they want to be independant from Westminster, so they can be ruled by Brussels. I have no idea if they have any other policies or views as it is all we have heard for years.
Greens… They just want to set up a party of love where everyone is friends and fairy tales come true…. but not led by JC.
It really is a pretty sad state of affairs out there. I think i could count the mps worth keeping their seats on one hand, two at a push.
The true horror story is parliment, and the sooner we get a GE and get to show them how fed up we are with them the better. Even if we stayed in the eu… we would still have this rabble of self serving muppets in power and that should concern us all…
Parliament is doing what parliament is meant to do. Conservatives called one electoral when none was needed also brought in the fixed term parliament act. Couldn’t manage to get May’s deal through because of “spartans” now try to blame everyone else for this complete cock up.
@James
It is people like me that Sturgeon would need to convince. The SNP do nothing for the wider good and completely hi jacked my remain vote under their absurd mantra that somehow I suddenly want to be independent. She has ignored 2 referendum now what does that say.
Most people I know are sick of having independence shoved down their throat every 2 minutes.
Frankly even if she gets her indyref 2 and by some miracle WINS, she will just cause years more of chaos and division. Honestly people have had it with all the political elite. It is going to take someone more powerful and genuine to make me vote YES ( which am not all against), but it will not be her or any of her SNP who are just as bad as the Tories and Labour.
Be it Holyrood Westmonster or Brussels they are all useless and in the pockets of the Corporates, and only ever serve their own interests.
whoops
nearly forgot to mention Oil
though you will risk greta thunberg crossing you off her Christmas card list
Best comments by MP’s today ever.
We have passed the bill but not passed the 3 days to scrutinise it.
So they passed a bill they don’t know the details of.
that’s absolutely brilliant.
@Jim English subsides? – Is that part of the Brexit strategy? I can see why you are suggesting there will be riots now.
@ Jim Sturgeon
Well take all the free stuff you offer the Scottish people and all of your oil and fantastic salmon will just about cover half.
I think we are better off together but unfortunately you have an independence obsessive racist dwarf in charge and brainwashing you all.
If the Scottish salmon is that big via Heathrow surely you are missing a trick as its already a few hours old getting there. But thta is because you have no airport capable of processing half the stuff in the volumes you talk of.
You talk of all the stuff you do with and for the EU yet you daont mnention the fact the EU do not want Scotland in the EU as an independent country so.
No one seems to mention that. A big border wall between us and scotland and a big wall between the EU and Scotland. So not only will trade for salmon slow with the EU it also will for the rest of the UK. The oil i think you need to do some sums as yes we took a lot of the revenue which i think scotland had back as massive unemployment in certain areas swallows so much money. Also check up on the drilling companies that founded all the oil., oh yes none of them were scottish.
Then actaully do the figure son how many years are left.
If she wants independence every 5 minutes then we should just grant it and get her MP’s out of our parliament.
Give her a few billion and watch the lid start to come off then watch her suddenly appear on a sunny island in the med.
Remember this was Mr Salmons ally until he got a bit of bother appear and she deserted him like she will anyone else. And he was not even charged.
@james
I know all about racism
I am an Englishman
living in Scotland
without the English the scots would have no one to blame for their failings
@ Robin
most certainly
difference is the English are never wrong?
speaking about racisim
world cups Olympics international matches of any kind
the English are generally pleased if the Scots win,
the Scots are pleased if anyone other than England wins
tells a tale