USA Africa Dialogue Series - Fwd: THE BREXIT COUP OF BORIS JOHNSON.

---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Anthony Akinola <anthony.a.akinola@gmail.com>
Date: Thu, Aug 29, 2019 at 2:08 PM
Subject: THE BREXIT COUP OF BORIS JOHNSON.
To: Anthony Akinola <anthony.a.akinola@gmail.com>

THE BREXIT COUP OF BORIS JOHNSON.

By Anthony Akinola.

Boris Johnson rode to No 10 Downing Street on the crest of Brexit. His predecessor, Theresa May, had been frustrated out of office by her inability to take Britain out of the European Union as demanded by a slim majority of voters in a 2016 referendum. Her proposals, about three variations of them, were rebuffed by a majority of elected politicians in the House of Commons. Deal or no-deal, the new Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, vowed to deliver Brexit on the 31st of October 2019. The success or failure of his leadership hinges on that promise.

The prospect of a no-deal Brexit has generated so much controversy in the Commons. Members of Parliament opposed to that prospect had threatened to force a vote of no confidence on Johnson, thereby compelling the emergence of a new government or an early election. Such an early election,or even another referendum, would highlight a new approach to an issue that has proved to be the most divisive in recent British politics.

There is this fear that exiting Europe without a deal could be catastrophic to British economy and the life style ordinary Britons have become accustomed to. It is also feared that it could eventually lead up to the break up of the Union.The anti-no-deal sentiment cuts across party divisions. There are not a few who had voted in favour of Brexit but would want it achieved with minimal consequences to their well-being.

In what would appear as a move towards countering whatever plot opponents intend, Boris Johnson promptly requested the British Monarch, Queen Elizabeth 11, to prorogue Parliament for 5 weeks,the longest suspension that would be witnessed since the end of the Second World War. Parliament would be suspended sometime in September and reconvene on the 14th of October, about seventeen days before Brexit deadline. Opponents believe the prorogue of Parliament was intended to frustrate discussions on Brexit. However, Prime Minister Johnson explained that the break is intended to enable the government to focus on urgent domestic legislation-an explanation that would seem to have contradicted his earlier pronouncement that domestic legislation would be put on hold until Brexit is achieved at the end of October.

There have been mixed reactions to this new development, ranging from anger from political opponents of Johnson to approval by avowed supporters of Brexit. The move by the Prime Minister is considered to be anti-democratic and dictatorial. However, proponents argue that opposing MPs have themselves to blame since they had thwarted the opportunities provided by Theresa May to exit Europe with a deal of some sort. The Queen,a mere constitutional monarch, could hardly have rejected the request of her PM to prorogue Parliament without dragging herself into a constitutional mess.

The weeks ahead will be quite exciting in British politics .It will be exciting to see how the opposition responds to what would seem to have been a delve move by Boris Johnson to achieve his deal or no-deal exit from the European Union by the 31st October deadline.Time will tell.

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