Last Thursday I wrote a blog entitled ‘It all comes down to Bercow'. I did so having watched Parliament the evening beforehand and having realised that the careful answers he was giving to MPs wanting to know what could be done to ensure, for example, that No Deal was really guaranteed, suggested he had a plan and would deliver it.
I would suggest I was right. He did have a plan. And it is now apparent that he does intend to deliver it.
His plan is to let parliament have its way. He can do no more. But he can do that, and in the face of a divided and discredited minority government that appears intent on abusing parliament to get its way, contrary to the will of the House, that is what he appears intent on doing.
I very much doubt he has finished as yet. In fact, I am sure he has not. All he is doing though is to ensure that what parliament has asked for is delivered. And it has asked for time to create a better deal than the one we have. So he will facilitate measures to block No Deal, even in the face of a government seemingly intent on letting it happen. And he will permit time to debate extensions. Because parliament has said it wants both.
That does not create a constituional crisis. Nor should it provoke furious reaction. This is parliamentary democracy at work. Thankfully.
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I was thinking the other day that though I usually say the system is broken, maybe all this shows that it isn’t. The govt is trying to do something stupid and the system is creaking, shutting down and obstructing the govt. That is what a good system does when people try to abuse it. The country is broken and the political parties are broken but oddly, maybe the parliamentary system isn’t. After all, it does predate political parties.
And let’s not forget the incredible work done by Dominic Grieve, a quiet man who seems to have been some kind of guerilla in a previous life!
It’s a can of worms that Mr Speaker is dealing with.
It is to be expected that the tail that tries to wag the dog is not likely to be in favour of any attempts to prevent it doing so. A minority is trying to enforce its will and has been prepared to push the boundaries of parliamentary procedures into new territory which is in itself a dangerous thing to do, because it may be setting precedents which allow future governments to do things contrary to the real ‘will of the people’.
It is said that ‘Hard cases make bad law ‘. There is a parallel here …we are watching process being moulded……manipulated, to achieve a desired result. The right way to do it is to allow the process to shape the result. We’re arse about face here.
The imbalance of this particular contest of wills is that the minority is very clear what it wants and the majority hasn’t a clue, or at least not an agreed, collective, alternative vision. Let alone a plan, or even a sketch ‘road map’.
This is making it impossible to find the area in which compromise can be achieved.
In the meantime the ‘game’ goes on as if it is only a game and not a matter of the utmost consequence for the lives of millions of people who look-on bemused by the parliamentary shenanigans.
We need a referendum !! A referendum vote of confidence in our Parliament in Westminster.
Our parliament has been found wanting and is in urgent need of considered reform. That can’t happen while we are in the midst of settling this very vexed question of EU membership. And making up new processes on the hoof is reckless. Theresa May is in danger of collapsing our entire parliamentary model for no better reason than to save face. (In my opinion)
Sensibly we must rescind Article 50….. and put our own house in order before we address again the question of the future terms of our relationship with the EU. Our political system is in no condition at present to deal with the challenges of a Britain after Brexit. We aren’t giving ourselves a chance, even if that is what we decide to do.
But all May has to do, is end the current parliamentary session. Then immediately start another. In which case the same proposition can be brought to the house again….
If Parliament agrees….
I think the PM can end the session by asking the Queen to prorogue the current parliamentary session…
With massive ramifications…..like losing all the Brexit transition bills
She won’t do it
JohnM says:
“But all May has to do, is end the current parliamentary session. Then immediately start another. In which case the same proposition can be brought to the house again….”
FFS. What a farce. What sort of system would allow that ? And why would the answer be any different to the judgement already passed by Parliament?
I don’t think we have time to wait until enough members have died and been replaced by new MPs who will pass the bill.
This is beginning to put me in mind of the case of Jarndice vs Jarndice.
The constitutional crisis, if there is one, is caused by:
1. the UK attempting to make a fundamental change to its political and economic position on the back of an evenly divided (52:48) result in the 2016 referendum.
2. a heavily contested general election in 2017 that led to a minority Conservative government, supported by the DUP, attempting to ram policies through as if it had majority support, in the country or in parliament, when it does not.
3. a failure of the opposition to present a convincing alternative (not helped by its leadership seeming to have a different position to the party and the country).
4. fundamentally, a failure to build some sort of cross-party majority consensus between people who voted “leave” and people who voted “remain”, about what the result of the referendum means, and what we do next.
We have a Parliamentary democracy based on Parliamentary sovereignty, so you end up with Parliament taking some control. The Speaker has a much greater role than would normally be the case, because a government with a working majority would be able to change the rule to suit itself.
I think I agree with James, that the sound you can hear, the grinding of gears, is the system actually working more or less as it should. Checks and balances.
An MP claiming a constitutional crisis is the modern day equivalent of a boy who cried wolf
I got home last night to hear Mr Speaker putting Parliament (and a certain PM) bang to rights on the kitchen radio. So impressed was I that I have written to Mr Speaker in support – again.
I have suggested previously that in such un-chartered political waters, new precedents will be made and it seems that good old fashioned rules have been used to make them.
Only an autocratic Government used to having its own way would claim there was a constitutional crisis when all I see is the rather ropey constitution that we have actually being used properly for once.
In short, John Bercow is a star.
John Bercow certainly is a star….!
‘Normal procedures’ would see him elevated to the HoL at the end of his term as Speaker.
I doubt if the Govt. will be backing this… Indeed I think they will attempt to block it.
Any constitutional experts on here like to advise ?
It is convention alone that would give him a peerage
He may not get it
The whole insane idea has had its chance, now is the time to revoke Article 50 and move on, but we know only too well that is not going to happen.
I mean well done Bercow for doing his job but quite remarkable how honest /right behaviour now needs to be marked with an ‘elavation’ !
What is it about the English psyche? Centuries of bowing and scraping to nobs? Whatever happened to virtue as it’s own reward?
I agree Les English. Brexit has been undeliverable since the outset but revoking article 50 is the last thing this lot intend to do.