Boris Johnson fuels speculation he could ignore Brexit delay law

[Eugene]

Source: The Guardian

Boris Johnson fuels speculation he could ignore Brexit delay law

PM says UK can still leave with no deal and fails to deny asking EU nations to block extension

Kate Proctor
Sun 29 Sep 2019 12.17 BST
Last modified on Sun 29 Sep 2019 12.26 BST

Boris Johnson has ramped up speculation that he is planning to bypass a law that stops the UK from crashing out of the EU without a deal.

The prime minister told the BBC’s The Andrew Marr Show that Britain can still leave the bloc on 31 October despite the passing of the Benn Act, which aims to prevent a no-deal Brexit by forcing him to ask Brussels for a delay.

He also failed to deny holding talks with EU heads of state to request they block any request for a Brexit extension.

Despite outrage this week after he repeatedly labelled the Benn Act the “surrender bill”, Johnson described himself as a “model of restraint” in what has been described as an increasingly toxic political atmosphere.

During the interview on The Andrew Marr Show on the first day of the Conservative party conference in Manchester, Johnson also refused to apologise for using the word “humbug” in response to the MP Paula Sherriff’s complaint that she has received death threats, claiming he had been discussing a different point.

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Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/sep/29/boris-johnson-fuels-speculation-could-ignore-brexit-delay-law

[mwooldri]

1. I believe BlowJo has to request extension by 19th October.

While there is a lot of chatter about a no confidence motion, the problem is that the Lib Dems and independent Conservatives (i.e. the expelled Tories) would find it hard to swallow Jezza as "caretaker PM". Come 20th October, Jo Swinson may have to support Corbyn as PM just to get an election going. Parliament has made itself clear... No deal, no Brexit.

[Matilda]

2. This all seems to be so peculiar.

Anybody's entitled to be for or anit-Brexit, but why is Boris prepared to break all sorts of laws and protocols to get his own way? Why is it so important to him?

He's acting more like a would-be dictator than a traditional British law-abiding leader, mindful of legalities and traditional behaviour.

Almost makes you wish Her Maj had the power to step in.

[muriel_volestrangler]

3. If he doesn't deliver Brexit by Oct 31st, the hardline voters will go for Farage's Brexit party

in the ensuing general election, splitting the right wing vote so he loses. This is the only way he could continue to be PM, which is all that counts for him.

[Denzil_DC]

4. In addition to what Muriel posted,

Last edited Mon Sep 30, 2019, 06:15 PM - Edit history (1)

Johnson's financial backers include hedge fund managers etc. who could make a killing from having a predictable date for Brexit (see my earlier posts on this page about it).

This has been dismissed by some as a "conspiracy theory", but if that's what it is, it's one former chancellor Hammond and Johnson's own sister apparently buy into!

[Matilda]

5. That makes an ugly sort of sense.

In other words, he's prepared to sell out the British people for the benefit of his cronies.

And yet, people will vote for him again.