Europe IV: The Final Hour

[charlesr]

In business, if urgent stuff is going on, leave isn't signed off. These dicks are paid for by us. WE shouldn't be allowing them to take a little break like normal. FFS.

[Neon Ignition]

As Johnson and his cronies set off on their Poseidon Adventure...

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/live/2019/aug/28/spending-review-set-for-next-week-fuels-election-speculation-live

Ruth Davies jumps ship

[MartyG]

Does the royal family have any power to veto laws and take matters in their own hands if the current government is failing? Maybe they want to do something but have no legal basis to do so.

Technically on paper yes due to the Royal Prerogative, but no, not really. The Queen is apolitical and follows the advice of the privy council, to overrule decades even centuries of parliamentary procedure would lead to a constitutional crisis.

There was a hypothetical drama not so long ago where Charles had become King and overruled parliament through the Royal Prerogative and it didn't end well for him. Interfering in the political process wouldn't end well for Liz either.

This is a legally sound process, even if the reasons for doing so are dubious. I'd seriously doubt legal action to try and overrule it will succeed as the government will argue that it's simply standard protocol enshrined in years of precedence that it's entitled to follow.

[QualityChimp]

Im competely lost. What the hell is going on?!

TL;DR The country is run by a bunch of self-serving *****.

As for the Queen:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-49495575

"Could the Queen have said no?

It would have been impossible for the Queen to turn down the prime minister's request, our royal correspondent Jonny Dymond writes.

The Queen acts on the advice of her prime minister.

While many, many people may be upset that Parliament is not going to sit at such time, precedent is on the side of those making this decision.

The idea is these things are settled in the Palace of Westminster, not Buckingham Palace.

The Queen had very little wriggle room to make any kind of political decision."

I would have loved it if she'd broken protocol and said "No. In fact, I'm revoking article 50, you cretins."

[Neon Ignition]

If the given is that the Queen can never override the PM in any scenario then her role is obsolete and the monarchy should be ended. Still, it's not like they've not already got their hands busy at the moment...

[Cassius_Smoke]

Like it or not, I think what hes done is very clever.
He's shut down any attempt to push through legislation to stop no deal. He's also given himself time to have discussions with the EU without anyone else having a say. He can then return to parliament with a new deal and with such a short time scale, basically give the house 1 shot to vote it through or go no deal.
Even if a vote of no confidence is successful, he sets the date of the next election, which will be some time in November, forcing no deal anyway.
It's a ****ty move, but May attempted 3 times to get a deal through democratically and failed. Boris is playing the only other hand he has really.
Not saying I like it at all.

[Mayhem]

He can then return to parliament with a new deal

No chance, there will be no new deal offered, I am almost sure of it...

[charlesr]

https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/269157

[Cassius_Smoke]

https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/269157

Actually laughed. Doesn't this mean they have to discuss this in parliament? It's just tossing a grenade in to a viper pit.

[MartyG]

Like it or not, I think what hes done is very clever.

It's tactically clever, but it's strategically dumb. Johnson (or rather Cummings) now has no where else to go but No Deal, unless by some miracle every star aligns and the EU caves in (and given God is a made up construct to instil fear and control and the EU won't compromise the integrity of the four pillars, unlikely :P) .

Actually laughed. Doesn't this mean they have to discuss this in parliament? It's just tossing a grenade in to a viper pit.

No, it means the committee that considers the petitions will decide whether it is debated in parliament, it is not an automatic process and arguably completely ineffectual given it's never lead to any change in legislation.

[charlesr]

Yeah me too. I mean.... Can you imagine?

This is also hilarious: https://newsthump.com/2019/08/28/que...son-arrives-2/

[Neon Ignition]

https://www.buzzfeed.com/alexwickham/boris-johnson-brexit-extreme-measures

Not verified but potentially horrifying look into the extent Boris is willing to go to. It's like nothing exists beyond Brexit and none of this will haunt them.

[Blobcat]

This is all just a ploy from Queen Liz to get attention away from Andrew.

Seriously though WTF happened to this country?!

[Golgo]

It's a ****ty move, but May attempted 3 times to get a deal through democratically and failed. Boris is playing the only other hand he has really. Not saying I like it at all.

I wouldn't over-egg May's track record for democratic means, tbh. She tried democracy once and it blew up in her face so she binned it. Then she tried to wind down the clock, limiting parliamentary debate, to force her deal through against her own whimsical deadlines. Johnson probably knocks one off to her in secret.

[Nu-Eclipse]

I wouldn't over-egg May's track record for democratic means, tbh. She tried democracy once and it blew up in her face so she binned it. Then she tried to wind down the clock, limiting parliamentary debate, to force her deal through against her own whimsical deadlines. Johnson probably knocks one off to her in secret.

QFT.

And that’s not even mentioning that she is the original architect of the “Hostile Environment” immigrant policy and had a major role in the Windrush scandal.

Remainer or not, Theresa May is a Charlie Uniform November Tango.