New Delhi: On Tuesday night, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson found his powers substantially reduced after the Parliament voted to seize control over the house’s legislative agenda for Wednesday. This would let the Parliament pass a bill compelling Johnson to ask the European Union (EU) for an extension on the Brexit deadline.
Immediately, Johnson had announced that if the Brexit delay bill is passed, he would call for a snap election.
To bring about this motion, 21 legislators from Johnson’s Conservative Party had aligned with the Labour Party and won the vote by 328 to 301. This leaves UK on the brink of a snap election and the Conservative Party on the verge of disintegration.
‘Rebel coalition’
The “rebel coalition” – 21 Conservative Party MPs, led by former chancellor (finance minister) Philip Hammond, the Labour Party and other opposition parties – came together to take control of Parliament’s agenda Wednesday.
The rebel coalition aimed to pass a bill that would end the possibility of a no deal Brexit.
The existing Brexit deadline is 31 October and if the EU and UK fail to reach an agreement by then, the UK would crash out of the EU. This would adversely affect UK’s economy and lead to a number of logistical issues for British firms, ports and border patrolling.
The rebel coalition aims to avert this ‘no deal’ Brexit. They plan to pass a bill which would compel the government to seek an extension on the 31 October deadline.
As one of the primary pro-Brexit voices, Johnson wants to avoid seeking an extension. He announced that if the Parliament voted in favour of a “Brexit delay”, he would immediately call for a snap election.
What is at stake here
There are quite a few major things at stake here.
Firstly, Johnson has threatened rebel MPs of his Conservative Party that if they vote against him he would “lift the whip” and ensure that they can’t contest elections on a Conservative party ticket.
The rebel MPs include some prominent faces such as former ministers Hammond, Greg Clark, Dominic Grieve and others. It also included Nicholas Soames, the grandson of Johnson’s hero Winston Churchill.
If these leaders are unable to contest from a Conservative Party ticket, it would make the party’s disintegration imminent.
Secondly, Johnson’s threat to call for a snap election has added further instability to an already turbulent scenario in British politics. The Conservatives have a considerable lead in the opinion polls, over the opposition Labour party. But a snap election over the Brexit question might lead to unexpected outcomes and the possible election of a hard-left Labour leader such as Jeremy Corbyn.
The UK parliament will vote on the possible extension of the Brexit deadline Wednesday. If the vote succeeds, it would likely be followed by another poll on a snap election.