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Boris Johnson is another Alpha Male
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Queen grants Boris Johnson's request to suspend Parliament ahead of Brexit deadline
UPDATED 26 MINUTES AGO
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PHOTO
Mr Johnson has already spoken to the Queen.
AP: VICTORIA JONES, POOL
The Queen has approved British Prime Minister Boris Johnson's plan to shut down the UK Parliament for several weeks ahead of the Brexit deadline.
Key points:
It comes a day after politicians who are opposed to a no-deal Brexit met to discuss ways they could use parliamentary procedure to force Mr Johnson to seek a delay to Brexit.
Mr Johnson said he had asked the Queen to request an end to the current parliamentary session in the second sitting week in September, just days after they've returned to work, and bring it back for a Queen's speech nearly a month later on October 14.
"We're not going to wait until October the 31st before getting on with our plans to take this country forward, and this is a new Government with a very exciting agenda," Mr Johnson said.
"We are bringing forward a new legislative program on crime, hospitals, making sure we have the education funding we need.
PHOTO Mr Johnson has already spoken to the Queen.
AP: MARKUS SCHREIBER
"To do that we need new legislation, we've got to be bringing forward new and important bills and that's why we are going to have a Queen's speech, and we're going to do it on October 14."
The Prime Minister denied the move was designed to prevent MPs the time to stop a no-deal Brexit.
"No, that is completely untrue," Mr Johnson said.
Mr Johnson said MPs would have "ample time" to debate the UK's departure from the EU, which is currently set for October 31.
Opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn slammed the move and said if Mr Johnson had confidence in his plans, he should call a general election.
"I am appalled at the recklessness of Johnson's Government, which talks about sovereignty and yet is seeking to suspend Parliament to avoid scrutiny of its plans for a reckless No Deal Brexit," Mr Corybn said in a statement.
"This is an outrage and a threat to our democracy."
The Government's plan caused the value of the pound to fall, losing nearly one per cent to both the Euro and US Dollar since the news broke.
Trump tweets in Johnson's corner
United States President Donald Trump waded in to offer his opinion on the plan, tweeting that it would be difficult for the Labour leader to table a no-confidence vote because Mr Johnson "is exactly what the U.K. has been looking for".
"Would be very hard for Jeremy Corbyn, the leader of Britain's Labour Party, to seek a no-confidence vote against New Prime Minister Boris Johnson, especially in light of the fact that Boris is exactly what the U.K. has been looking for, & will prove to be 'a great one!'," he wrote.
Shutting down Parliament a 'constitutional outrage'
Speaker of the House of Commons, John Bercow, took a break from his family holiday to issue a statement saying he had not been consulted on the Government's plan.
The Speaker, who does not usually make statements on political announcements, said it was a "constitutional outrage".
"However it is dressed up, it is blindingly obvious that the purpose of prorogation now would be to stop Parliament debating Brexit and performing its duty in shaping a course for the country," Mr Bercow said.
Opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn slammed the move and said if Mr Johnson had confidence in his plans, he should call a general election.
"I am appalled at the recklessness of Johnson's Government, which talks about sovereignty and yet is seeking to suspend Parliament to avoid scrutiny of its plans for a reckless No Deal Brexit," Mr Corybn said in a statement.
"This is an outrage and a threat to our democracy."
Former chancellor Phillip Hammond, who quit the Cabinet before Mr Johnson became prime minister, said the move was "profoundly undemocratic".
Labour MP Clive Lewis said if Mr Johnson shut down Parliament, he and others "will defend democracy'.
"The police will have to remove us from the chamber. We will call on people to take to the streets," Mr Lewis said in a tweet.
"We will call an extraordinary session of Parliament."
Mr Johnson did find support for the suspension of Parliament from one ally — Democratic Unionist Party leader Arlene Foster.
The DUP is Northern Ireland's largest political party and it is their backing of the Conservatives that gives Mr Johnson a parliamentary majority.
But Ms Foster said the move would require a review of the two parties "Confidence and Supply" deal.
"This will be an opportunity to ensure our priorities align with those of the Government," she said.
"In the meantime, we will continue our work with the Prime Minister to strengthen the Union, deliver a sensible deal as we exit the EU and restore devolution in Northern Ireland."
PM could face no-confidence vote
Conservative MP Dominic Grieve, the former attorney general, said MPs were more likely to bring on a no-confidence vote in Mr Johnson in the wake of the move.
Mr Grieve said it made it more difficult for Tory rebels like himself to give confidence to the Government.
He said the move to suspend Parliament was an attempt to govern without Parliament and that the Parliament could move quickly to a vote of no confidence.
Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon tweeted it appeared Mr Johnson was trying to shut down Parliament to force through a no-deal Brexit.
"Unless MPs come together to stop him next week, today will go down in history as a dark one indeed for UK democracy," Ms Sturgeon said.
Corbyn asks to see the Queen
Mr Corbyn has asked to meet Queen Elizabeth to raise his concerns about Mr Johnson's plans to suspend parliament for longer than normal before Brexit, the Guardian newspaper said.
"Understand Jeremy Corbyn has written to the Queen, expressing concern about Boris Johnson's announcement that he's proroguing parliament, and requesting a meeting with her," Guardian political editor Heather Stewart wrote on Twitter.
Mr Corbyn said Mr Johnson needs to be held accountable.
"He needs to be held to account by parliament — not by shutting down parliament but by attending parliament and answering the questions," he said.
"When Parliament does meet on his timetable very briefly next week, the first thing we'll do is attempt legislation to prevent what he's doing and secondly we'll challenge him in a motion of confidence at some point."
Ireland's Finance Minister, when asked if a no-deal Brexit was now inevitable, said many things could happen between now and October.
He said developments in London will not lead Ireland to change its position on the backstop — an insurance policy to ensure no return to a hard border between Ireland and Northern Ireland.
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Queen grants Boris Johnson's request to suspend Parliament ahead of Brexit deadline
UPDATED 26 MINUTES AGO
Email Facebook Twitter WhatsApp
PHOTO
Mr Johnson has already spoken to the Queen.
AP: VICTORIA JONES, POOL
The Queen has approved British Prime Minister Boris Johnson's plan to shut down the UK Parliament for several weeks ahead of the Brexit deadline.
Key points:
- Mr Johnson has denied the move is to prevent MPs stopping a no-deal Brexit
- One MP described the move as an attempt to govern without Parliament
- The UK is due to leave the EU on October 31
It comes a day after politicians who are opposed to a no-deal Brexit met to discuss ways they could use parliamentary procedure to force Mr Johnson to seek a delay to Brexit.
Mr Johnson said he had asked the Queen to request an end to the current parliamentary session in the second sitting week in September, just days after they've returned to work, and bring it back for a Queen's speech nearly a month later on October 14.
"We're not going to wait until October the 31st before getting on with our plans to take this country forward, and this is a new Government with a very exciting agenda," Mr Johnson said.
"We are bringing forward a new legislative program on crime, hospitals, making sure we have the education funding we need.
PHOTO Mr Johnson has already spoken to the Queen.
AP: MARKUS SCHREIBER
"To do that we need new legislation, we've got to be bringing forward new and important bills and that's why we are going to have a Queen's speech, and we're going to do it on October 14."
The Prime Minister denied the move was designed to prevent MPs the time to stop a no-deal Brexit.
"No, that is completely untrue," Mr Johnson said.
Mr Johnson said MPs would have "ample time" to debate the UK's departure from the EU, which is currently set for October 31.
Opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn slammed the move and said if Mr Johnson had confidence in his plans, he should call a general election.
"I am appalled at the recklessness of Johnson's Government, which talks about sovereignty and yet is seeking to suspend Parliament to avoid scrutiny of its plans for a reckless No Deal Brexit," Mr Corybn said in a statement.
"This is an outrage and a threat to our democracy."
The Government's plan caused the value of the pound to fall, losing nearly one per cent to both the Euro and US Dollar since the news broke.
Trump tweets in Johnson's corner
United States President Donald Trump waded in to offer his opinion on the plan, tweeting that it would be difficult for the Labour leader to table a no-confidence vote because Mr Johnson "is exactly what the U.K. has been looking for".
"Would be very hard for Jeremy Corbyn, the leader of Britain's Labour Party, to seek a no-confidence vote against New Prime Minister Boris Johnson, especially in light of the fact that Boris is exactly what the U.K. has been looking for, & will prove to be 'a great one!'," he wrote.
Shutting down Parliament a 'constitutional outrage'
Speaker of the House of Commons, John Bercow, took a break from his family holiday to issue a statement saying he had not been consulted on the Government's plan.
The Speaker, who does not usually make statements on political announcements, said it was a "constitutional outrage".
"However it is dressed up, it is blindingly obvious that the purpose of prorogation now would be to stop Parliament debating Brexit and performing its duty in shaping a course for the country," Mr Bercow said.
"Shutting down Parliament would be an offence against the democratic process and the rights of Parliamentarians as the people's elected representatives.
"Surely at this early stage in his premiership, the Prime Minister should be seeking to establish rather than undermine his democratic credentials and indeed his commitment to Parliamentary democracy."Opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn slammed the move and said if Mr Johnson had confidence in his plans, he should call a general election.
"I am appalled at the recklessness of Johnson's Government, which talks about sovereignty and yet is seeking to suspend Parliament to avoid scrutiny of its plans for a reckless No Deal Brexit," Mr Corybn said in a statement.
"This is an outrage and a threat to our democracy."
Former chancellor Phillip Hammond, who quit the Cabinet before Mr Johnson became prime minister, said the move was "profoundly undemocratic".
Labour MP Clive Lewis said if Mr Johnson shut down Parliament, he and others "will defend democracy'.
"The police will have to remove us from the chamber. We will call on people to take to the streets," Mr Lewis said in a tweet.
"We will call an extraordinary session of Parliament."
Mr Johnson did find support for the suspension of Parliament from one ally — Democratic Unionist Party leader Arlene Foster.
The DUP is Northern Ireland's largest political party and it is their backing of the Conservatives that gives Mr Johnson a parliamentary majority.
But Ms Foster said the move would require a review of the two parties "Confidence and Supply" deal.
"This will be an opportunity to ensure our priorities align with those of the Government," she said.
"In the meantime, we will continue our work with the Prime Minister to strengthen the Union, deliver a sensible deal as we exit the EU and restore devolution in Northern Ireland."
PM could face no-confidence vote
Conservative MP Dominic Grieve, the former attorney general, said MPs were more likely to bring on a no-confidence vote in Mr Johnson in the wake of the move.
Mr Grieve said it made it more difficult for Tory rebels like himself to give confidence to the Government.
He said the move to suspend Parliament was an attempt to govern without Parliament and that the Parliament could move quickly to a vote of no confidence.
Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon tweeted it appeared Mr Johnson was trying to shut down Parliament to force through a no-deal Brexit.
"Unless MPs come together to stop him next week, today will go down in history as a dark one indeed for UK democracy," Ms Sturgeon said.
Corbyn asks to see the Queen
Mr Corbyn has asked to meet Queen Elizabeth to raise his concerns about Mr Johnson's plans to suspend parliament for longer than normal before Brexit, the Guardian newspaper said.
"Understand Jeremy Corbyn has written to the Queen, expressing concern about Boris Johnson's announcement that he's proroguing parliament, and requesting a meeting with her," Guardian political editor Heather Stewart wrote on Twitter.
Mr Corbyn said Mr Johnson needs to be held accountable.
"He needs to be held to account by parliament — not by shutting down parliament but by attending parliament and answering the questions," he said.
"Suspending Parliament is not acceptable, it's not on. What the Prime Minister's doing is a sort of smash and grab on our democracy in order to force through a no-deal exit from the European Union.
"He seems to want to run head-long into the arms of Donald Trump."When Parliament does meet on his timetable very briefly next week, the first thing we'll do is attempt legislation to prevent what he's doing and secondly we'll challenge him in a motion of confidence at some point."
Ireland's Finance Minister, when asked if a no-deal Brexit was now inevitable, said many things could happen between now and October.
He said developments in London will not lead Ireland to change its position on the backstop — an insurance policy to ensure no return to a hard border between Ireland and Northern Ireland.
POSTED ABOUT 6 HOURS AGO
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Lau Kway Bu’s tonics is the best!
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Father so loved the country he gave his firstborn son and daughter in law to serve its people. It is we who are undeserving of His amazing grace.
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Just get the fuck out of the EU and London will be great again.
Western Europeans still think they rule the world.
Washington-London-Moscow will be the backbone of the new world order of Alpha Males. Sissies please bend over.
Trump leaving the G7 meeting showed how useless the G6 is without USA. All they could raise was $20m for Brazil. Bloody joke. We spend more than that on NDP.
Western Europeans still think they rule the world.
Washington-London-Moscow will be the backbone of the new world order of Alpha Males. Sissies please bend over.
Trump leaving the G7 meeting showed how useless the G6 is without USA. All they could raise was $20m for Brazil. Bloody joke. We spend more than that on NDP.
Brexit is good for UK in the long run. Funds will pour into UK the moment it completes Brexit. Eurozone is very much in a crisis now, burdened with debts and immigrant influx from Middle East and Europe. The weakness of Eurozone creates a weak Euro which solely benefits the manufacturing power house Germany at the expense of the rest.
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British Prime Minister Boris Johnson loses majority as Tory MP crosses the floor ahead of key Brexit vote - Business
Updated about 5 hours ago
Boris Johnson gestures in parliament.
PHOTO Mr Johnson has ruled out asking the EU to delay Britain's departure from the bloc. PARLIAMENT TV VIA REUTERS
Boris Johnson has lost his working majority in the House of Commons after a Conservative MP sensationally defected to a rival party as the Prime Minister addressed the chamber.
Dr Phillip Lee, the MP for Bracknell, took his seat on the opposition benches as Mr Johnson made only his second statement to the Commons as Prime Minister after Parliament returned from its summer recess.
It is another blow to Mr Johnson as he attempts to stop Parliament from passing an emergency debate order to prevent a no-deal Brexit.
Shortly after crossing the floor Dr Lee, who supports a second EU referendum, released a strongly-worded statement announcing he had joined the centre-left Liberal Democrats.
Mr Lee said that Brexit divisions had "sadly transformed this once great party into something more akin to a narrow faction in which one's Conservatism is measured by how recklessly one wants to leave the European Union".
He also said the Conservative Government was "putting lives and livelihoods at risk unnecessarily and it is wantonly endangering the integrity of the UK".
"More widely, it is undermining our country's economy, democracy and role in the world," Mr Lee wrote.
"It is using political manipulation, bullying and lies. And it is doing these things in a deliberate and considered way."
Later on Tuesday evening (local time) MPs are set to vote on whether to take control of Parliament on Wednesday to extend the Brexit deadline to the end of January 2020 in order to prevent Britain crashing out of the EU without a deal.
The first hurdle was cleared on Tuesday afternoon when Speaker John Bercow granted MPs an emergency debate on whether they can take control of the agenda, which is set to last three hours.
After three hours or by 10pm (7am AEST), whichever comes first, MPs will then vote.
Despite a warning that Mr Johnson would seek an election if they tied his hands over Brexit, at least 15 Conservative MPs stood to back the emergency debate, meaning the Prime Minister was left staring down the barrel of defeat when the vote eventually took place.
"This is parliament's last chance to block a no-deal exit on the 31st of October," Oliver Letwin, who led the attempt to thwart Mr Johnson's Brexit bid told Parliament.
Opposition Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn said lawmakers were seeking to prevent Mt Johnson from "playing Russian roulette with this country's future."
An extension would be a 'white flag'
Mr Johnson cast the challenge as an attempt to force Britain to surrender to the EU just as he hoped to secure concessions on the terms of the split.
"It means running up the white flag," Mr Johnson said.
"It is a bill that, if passed, would force me to go to Brussels and beg an extension.
"It would force me to accept the terms offered. It would destroy any chance of negotiation for a new deal."
Jeremy Corbyn, standing against a red background, tilts his head.
PHOTO Mr Corbyn said Mr Johnson was "playing Russian roulette" with the UK's future. REUTERS: ANDREW YATES
Mr Johnson's opponents cast his tactics as undemocratic, including an order to suspend Parliament for more than a month beginning next week.
That has been followed by his threat to kick rebels out of the ruling party — some of them ex-ministers who left the cabinet just weeks ago.
"I think we will have the numbers," former finance minister Philip Hammond, who opposes Mr Johnson, said.
"Prime Minister Johnson has always intended that there will be an election."
Britain's Finance Minister Philip Hammond to resign if Boris Johnson becomes Prime Minister
PHOTO Mr Hammond has been a loud opponent of Mr Johnson. NEWS VIDEO
The Government has effectively turned the challenge into a confidence vote by making clear that if the Government were defeated, it would vote Wednesday on whether to approve an early election, most likely to be held on October 14.
It was unclear if opposition parties would support any move to call an election — which requires the support of two-thirds of the 650-seat House of Commons.
The Labour Party's chief enforcer said the party would not allow Mr Johnson to manipulate an election to force through a no-deal Brexit, a source said.
Posted about 8 hours ago
Updated about 5 hours ago
Boris Johnson gestures in parliament.
PHOTO Mr Johnson has ruled out asking the EU to delay Britain's departure from the bloc. PARLIAMENT TV VIA REUTERS
Boris Johnson has lost his working majority in the House of Commons after a Conservative MP sensationally defected to a rival party as the Prime Minister addressed the chamber.
Dr Phillip Lee, the MP for Bracknell, took his seat on the opposition benches as Mr Johnson made only his second statement to the Commons as Prime Minister after Parliament returned from its summer recess.
It is another blow to Mr Johnson as he attempts to stop Parliament from passing an emergency debate order to prevent a no-deal Brexit.
Shortly after crossing the floor Dr Lee, who supports a second EU referendum, released a strongly-worded statement announcing he had joined the centre-left Liberal Democrats.
Mr Lee said that Brexit divisions had "sadly transformed this once great party into something more akin to a narrow faction in which one's Conservatism is measured by how recklessly one wants to leave the European Union".
He also said the Conservative Government was "putting lives and livelihoods at risk unnecessarily and it is wantonly endangering the integrity of the UK".
"More widely, it is undermining our country's economy, democracy and role in the world," Mr Lee wrote.
"It is using political manipulation, bullying and lies. And it is doing these things in a deliberate and considered way."
Later on Tuesday evening (local time) MPs are set to vote on whether to take control of Parliament on Wednesday to extend the Brexit deadline to the end of January 2020 in order to prevent Britain crashing out of the EU without a deal.
The first hurdle was cleared on Tuesday afternoon when Speaker John Bercow granted MPs an emergency debate on whether they can take control of the agenda, which is set to last three hours.
After three hours or by 10pm (7am AEST), whichever comes first, MPs will then vote.
Despite a warning that Mr Johnson would seek an election if they tied his hands over Brexit, at least 15 Conservative MPs stood to back the emergency debate, meaning the Prime Minister was left staring down the barrel of defeat when the vote eventually took place.
"This is parliament's last chance to block a no-deal exit on the 31st of October," Oliver Letwin, who led the attempt to thwart Mr Johnson's Brexit bid told Parliament.
Opposition Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn said lawmakers were seeking to prevent Mt Johnson from "playing Russian roulette with this country's future."
An extension would be a 'white flag'
Mr Johnson cast the challenge as an attempt to force Britain to surrender to the EU just as he hoped to secure concessions on the terms of the split.
"It means running up the white flag," Mr Johnson said.
"It is a bill that, if passed, would force me to go to Brussels and beg an extension.
"It would force me to accept the terms offered. It would destroy any chance of negotiation for a new deal."
Jeremy Corbyn, standing against a red background, tilts his head.
PHOTO Mr Corbyn said Mr Johnson was "playing Russian roulette" with the UK's future. REUTERS: ANDREW YATES
Mr Johnson's opponents cast his tactics as undemocratic, including an order to suspend Parliament for more than a month beginning next week.
That has been followed by his threat to kick rebels out of the ruling party — some of them ex-ministers who left the cabinet just weeks ago.
"I think we will have the numbers," former finance minister Philip Hammond, who opposes Mr Johnson, said.
"Prime Minister Johnson has always intended that there will be an election."
Britain's Finance Minister Philip Hammond to resign if Boris Johnson becomes Prime Minister
PHOTO Mr Hammond has been a loud opponent of Mr Johnson. NEWS VIDEO
The Government has effectively turned the challenge into a confidence vote by making clear that if the Government were defeated, it would vote Wednesday on whether to approve an early election, most likely to be held on October 14.
It was unclear if opposition parties would support any move to call an election — which requires the support of two-thirds of the 650-seat House of Commons.
The Labour Party's chief enforcer said the party would not allow Mr Johnson to manipulate an election to force through a no-deal Brexit, a source said.
Posted about 8 hours ago
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- Jun 27, 2018
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- 29,352
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- 113
Boris Johnson's Brexit plans are a mess as MP crosses the floor
Analysis By Europe bureau chief Samantha Hawley
Updated about an hour ago
Conservative MP defects to Lib-Dems during Boris Johnson speech
VIDEO 0:34 Conservative MP defects during Boris Johnson speech ABC NEWS
Just when you thought the Brexit ride couldn't get any wilder, at Westminster it shifted from extraordinary to gobsmacking.
Boris Johnson — trying to tactically manoeuvre around the House of Commons to deliver Brexit, do or die — seems to have tied himself in knots, and in doing so lost the Government's working majority of one.
Dr Phillip Lee, a Conservative Party member for 25 years, showcased his discontent on the floor of the Commons, striding across the chamber to take a seat with members of the Liberal Democrats.
Boris Johnson hunches forward, carrying a folder under his arm, as he walks towards a podium.
PHOTO Boris Johnson has tied himself in knots trying to deliver Brexit. AP: ALBERTO PEZZALI
It was a difficult moment for the Prime Minister, who was on his feet at the dispatch box for only the second time since becoming leader.
It was just one extraordinary moment on a day of high political drama.
Before Dr Lee made his move, there had even been a suggestion that Mr Johnson may have to move a motion of no-confidence in his own Government in order to bring on an election that the day before he'd argued he didn't want.
Common sense would suggest that would never happen, but anything is possible.
A 'stop brexit' sign next to European Union flags outside the Cabinet Office.
PHOTO Anti-Brexit demonstrators have been protesting in the streets and many are tired of the ongoing political instability. AP: KIRSTY WIGGLESWORTH
Defiant MPs
Now rebel Conservative MPs have defied their leader by backing a motion for an emergency debate to try and push through a bill to delay Brexit by three months, and Mr Johnson is being forced down the path of a high-risk election.
But even getting that is difficult for a leader who's been in the job for just over 40 days.
He'll need two-thirds of the Parliament to vote in favour of a snap poll.
Space to play or pause, M to mute, left and right arrows to seek, up and down arrows for volume.
Video 2:07
Boris Johnson reacts to his defeat in Parliament, saying a snap election is the most likely outcome.
ABC News
That means Labour needs to be on board, and it looks like the Opposition won't vote in favour of a poll unless a no-deal is ruled out.
Hence the possible need of a self-imposed motion of no confidence, or another bill, to circumvent the fixed parliamentary term. An election is not due until 2022.
Brexit fatigue
For the voters of the United Kingdom, fatigue would surely be setting in.
This would be their third general election in four years, plus the 2016 EU referendum. So many polls but no resolutions.
Boris Johnson stands at the lectern to speak in the House of Commons. He is mid-speech and wears a serious expression.
PHOTO Boris Johnson has been British Prime Minister for just 40 days. AP: JESSICA TAYLOR/HOUSE OF COMMON
But this time and for the first time, there are four viable parties in the mix, and voters could choose to vent their frustration by abandoning the traditional British institutions — Labour and the Conservatives.
We had a taste of that during the European elections earlier this year, where Nigel Farage's newly formed Brexit Party surged to take 29 seats and the Liberal Democrats — a remain party — took 16.
The Tories performed woefully, ending with just four seats, while Labour secured just 10.
Mr Johnson, too, could be under real pressure. He holds his own seat of Uxbridge in London's west by a wafer-thin 5,000-vote margin, the smallest of any sitting prime minister since the 1920s.
The last snap election called by Theresa May in 2017 delivered a hung parliament, no solution and a further divided nation.
There's no guarantee a second shot at it will deliver anything better.
Posted about 2 hours ago
Analysis By Europe bureau chief Samantha Hawley
Updated about an hour ago
Conservative MP defects to Lib-Dems during Boris Johnson speech
VIDEO 0:34 Conservative MP defects during Boris Johnson speech ABC NEWS
Just when you thought the Brexit ride couldn't get any wilder, at Westminster it shifted from extraordinary to gobsmacking.
Boris Johnson — trying to tactically manoeuvre around the House of Commons to deliver Brexit, do or die — seems to have tied himself in knots, and in doing so lost the Government's working majority of one.
Dr Phillip Lee, a Conservative Party member for 25 years, showcased his discontent on the floor of the Commons, striding across the chamber to take a seat with members of the Liberal Democrats.
Boris Johnson hunches forward, carrying a folder under his arm, as he walks towards a podium.
PHOTO Boris Johnson has tied himself in knots trying to deliver Brexit. AP: ALBERTO PEZZALI
It was a difficult moment for the Prime Minister, who was on his feet at the dispatch box for only the second time since becoming leader.
It was just one extraordinary moment on a day of high political drama.
Before Dr Lee made his move, there had even been a suggestion that Mr Johnson may have to move a motion of no-confidence in his own Government in order to bring on an election that the day before he'd argued he didn't want.
Common sense would suggest that would never happen, but anything is possible.
A 'stop brexit' sign next to European Union flags outside the Cabinet Office.
PHOTO Anti-Brexit demonstrators have been protesting in the streets and many are tired of the ongoing political instability. AP: KIRSTY WIGGLESWORTH
Defiant MPs
Now rebel Conservative MPs have defied their leader by backing a motion for an emergency debate to try and push through a bill to delay Brexit by three months, and Mr Johnson is being forced down the path of a high-risk election.
But even getting that is difficult for a leader who's been in the job for just over 40 days.
He'll need two-thirds of the Parliament to vote in favour of a snap poll.
Space to play or pause, M to mute, left and right arrows to seek, up and down arrows for volume.
Video 2:07
Boris Johnson reacts to his defeat in Parliament, saying a snap election is the most likely outcome.
ABC News
That means Labour needs to be on board, and it looks like the Opposition won't vote in favour of a poll unless a no-deal is ruled out.
Hence the possible need of a self-imposed motion of no confidence, or another bill, to circumvent the fixed parliamentary term. An election is not due until 2022.
Brexit fatigue
For the voters of the United Kingdom, fatigue would surely be setting in.
This would be their third general election in four years, plus the 2016 EU referendum. So many polls but no resolutions.
Boris Johnson stands at the lectern to speak in the House of Commons. He is mid-speech and wears a serious expression.
PHOTO Boris Johnson has been British Prime Minister for just 40 days. AP: JESSICA TAYLOR/HOUSE OF COMMON
But this time and for the first time, there are four viable parties in the mix, and voters could choose to vent their frustration by abandoning the traditional British institutions — Labour and the Conservatives.
We had a taste of that during the European elections earlier this year, where Nigel Farage's newly formed Brexit Party surged to take 29 seats and the Liberal Democrats — a remain party — took 16.
The Tories performed woefully, ending with just four seats, while Labour secured just 10.
Mr Johnson, too, could be under real pressure. He holds his own seat of Uxbridge in London's west by a wafer-thin 5,000-vote margin, the smallest of any sitting prime minister since the 1920s.
The last snap election called by Theresa May in 2017 delivered a hung parliament, no solution and a further divided nation.
There's no guarantee a second shot at it will deliver anything better.
Posted about 2 hours ago
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- Jun 27, 2018
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- 29,352
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Boris Johnson vows to seek election after parliamentary defeat by Brexit rebels
UPDATED ABOUT AN HOUR AGO
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0:00
VIDEO 2:07 Boris Johnson reacts to the vote, saying a snap election is the most likely outcome.
ABC NEWS
A cross-party alliance of British MPs has voted to take control of Parliament in a bid to prevent the United Kingdom from leaving the European Union without a deal at the end of October.
Key points:
Rebel Conservatives and Opposition MPs plan to bring forward a bill forcing the PM to delay Brexit unless MPs back a new deal or vote for a no-deal exit
Mr Johnson is now expected to call a snap general election on October 14
If Labour won, it would hold another Brexit referendum and allow the option of remaining in the EU bloc
Rebel Conservative MPs joined forces with the Opposition — voting 328 to 301 — to seize Wednesday's parliamentary agenda and bring forward a bill that would force Prime Minister Boris Johnson to delay Brexit unless a new deal was backed by MPs, or they voted for a no-deal exit.
Boosting the numbers were 21 Conservative MPs who defied the party whip, despite the Prime Minister's threat to expel defectors from the party.
Among the 21 to be expelled is Sir Nicholas Soames, the grandson of Britain's World War II leader Winston Churchill.
Mr Johnson has consistently said the UK must leave the EU on October 31 — with or without a deal — and he has put forward a motion to call a snap election on October 14.
After the vote, Mr Johnson vowed to stop "another pointless delay to Brexit".
Look back at our live coverage of Boris Johnson preparing to call an election after a Parliamentary defeat
"I don't want an election, but if MPs vote tomorrow to stop negotiations and compel another pointless delay to Brexit, potentially for years, then that would be the only way to resolve this," he said.
"I can confirm that we are tonight tabling a motion under the Fixed Term Parliament Act."
Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson speaks in the House of Commons.
PHOTO Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson speaks in the House of Commons.
REUTERS: UK PARLIAMENT/JESSICA TAYLOR
An election would pit the avowed Brexiteer against Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn.
Jeremy Corbyn, standing against a red background, tilts his head.
PHOTO If elected in a snap poll, Jeremy Corbyn's Labour Party would hold another referendum on the options for a Brexit deal.
REUTERS: ANDREW YATES
Mr Corbyn has long demanded an election as the best way out of the crisis, but many of those seeking to prevent a no-deal Brexit say Mr Johnson could time the poll to ensure Parliament cannot prevent an October 31 departure with or without a deal.
Any attempt to go to the polls early requires a two-thirds majority.
Mr Corbyn told Mr Johnson he must allow the Brexit delay bill, to be discussed on Wednesday, to be dealt with before trying to call an election.
If elected in a snap poll, Labour would hold another referendum on the options for a Brexit deal.
Remaining in the bloc would be an option on the ballot paper.
Can Johnson survive an election?
Can Johnson survive an election?
Just when you thought the Brexit ride couldn't get any wilder, at Westminster it shifted from extraordinary to gobsmacking, writes Samantha Hawley.
If Mr Johnson's Conservatives reclaimed a majority in the House of Commons, Britain would leave Europe with or without a deal.
Mr Corbyn welcomed today's result, saying the priority was to delay Brexit, despite threats of a snap election.
"We live in a parliamentary democracy … we do not have a presidency but a Prime Minister. Prime Ministers govern with the consent of the House of Commons, representing the people in whom the sovereignty rests."
Johnson loses majority after defection
Earlier in the day Mr Johnson lost his working majority in the House of Commons after a Conservative MP sensationally defected to a rival party as the PM addressed the chamber.
Space to play or pause, M to mute, left and right arrows to seek, up and down arrows for volume.
VIDEO 0:34 Conservative MP Phillip Lee defects during Boris Johnson's speech
ABC NEWS
Shortly after crossing the floor, Phillip Lee — who supports a second EU referendum — released a strongly worded statement announcing he had joined the centre-left Liberal Democrats.
Could Boris Johnson become Britain's shortest-serving PM?
Could Boris Johnson become Britain's shortest-serving PM?
He's barely unpacked at 10 Downing Street, but a vote held in Britain's Parliament overnight has Boris Johnson threatening to hold a snap general election he may very well lose.
Dr Lee said Brexit divisions had "sadly transformed this once great party into something more akin to a narrow faction in which one's Conservatism is measured by how recklessly one wants to leave the European Union".
He also said the Conservative Government was "putting lives and livelihoods at risk unnecessarily and it is wantonly endangering the integrity of the UK".
"More widely, it is undermining our country's economy, democracy and role in the world," Dr Lee wrote.
"It is using political manipulation, bullying and lies. And it is doing these things in a deliberate and considered way."
ABC/wires
POSTED EARLIER TODAY AT 5:17AM
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Boris Johnson vows to seek election after parliamentary defeat by Brexit rebels
UPDATED ABOUT AN HOUR AGO
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0:00
VIDEO 2:07 Boris Johnson reacts to the vote, saying a snap election is the most likely outcome.
ABC NEWS
A cross-party alliance of British MPs has voted to take control of Parliament in a bid to prevent the United Kingdom from leaving the European Union without a deal at the end of October.
Key points:
Rebel Conservatives and Opposition MPs plan to bring forward a bill forcing the PM to delay Brexit unless MPs back a new deal or vote for a no-deal exit
Mr Johnson is now expected to call a snap general election on October 14
If Labour won, it would hold another Brexit referendum and allow the option of remaining in the EU bloc
Rebel Conservative MPs joined forces with the Opposition — voting 328 to 301 — to seize Wednesday's parliamentary agenda and bring forward a bill that would force Prime Minister Boris Johnson to delay Brexit unless a new deal was backed by MPs, or they voted for a no-deal exit.
Boosting the numbers were 21 Conservative MPs who defied the party whip, despite the Prime Minister's threat to expel defectors from the party.
Among the 21 to be expelled is Sir Nicholas Soames, the grandson of Britain's World War II leader Winston Churchill.
Mr Johnson has consistently said the UK must leave the EU on October 31 — with or without a deal — and he has put forward a motion to call a snap election on October 14.
After the vote, Mr Johnson vowed to stop "another pointless delay to Brexit".
Look back at our live coverage of Boris Johnson preparing to call an election after a Parliamentary defeat
"I don't want an election, but if MPs vote tomorrow to stop negotiations and compel another pointless delay to Brexit, potentially for years, then that would be the only way to resolve this," he said.
"I can confirm that we are tonight tabling a motion under the Fixed Term Parliament Act."
Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson speaks in the House of Commons.
PHOTO Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson speaks in the House of Commons.
REUTERS: UK PARLIAMENT/JESSICA TAYLOR
An election would pit the avowed Brexiteer against Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn.
Jeremy Corbyn, standing against a red background, tilts his head.
PHOTO If elected in a snap poll, Jeremy Corbyn's Labour Party would hold another referendum on the options for a Brexit deal.
REUTERS: ANDREW YATES
Mr Corbyn has long demanded an election as the best way out of the crisis, but many of those seeking to prevent a no-deal Brexit say Mr Johnson could time the poll to ensure Parliament cannot prevent an October 31 departure with or without a deal.
Any attempt to go to the polls early requires a two-thirds majority.
Mr Corbyn told Mr Johnson he must allow the Brexit delay bill, to be discussed on Wednesday, to be dealt with before trying to call an election.
If elected in a snap poll, Labour would hold another referendum on the options for a Brexit deal.
Remaining in the bloc would be an option on the ballot paper.
Can Johnson survive an election?
Can Johnson survive an election?
Just when you thought the Brexit ride couldn't get any wilder, at Westminster it shifted from extraordinary to gobsmacking, writes Samantha Hawley.
If Mr Johnson's Conservatives reclaimed a majority in the House of Commons, Britain would leave Europe with or without a deal.
Mr Corbyn welcomed today's result, saying the priority was to delay Brexit, despite threats of a snap election.
"We live in a parliamentary democracy … we do not have a presidency but a Prime Minister. Prime Ministers govern with the consent of the House of Commons, representing the people in whom the sovereignty rests."
Johnson loses majority after defection
Earlier in the day Mr Johnson lost his working majority in the House of Commons after a Conservative MP sensationally defected to a rival party as the PM addressed the chamber.
Space to play or pause, M to mute, left and right arrows to seek, up and down arrows for volume.
VIDEO 0:34 Conservative MP Phillip Lee defects during Boris Johnson's speech
ABC NEWS
Shortly after crossing the floor, Phillip Lee — who supports a second EU referendum — released a strongly worded statement announcing he had joined the centre-left Liberal Democrats.
Could Boris Johnson become Britain's shortest-serving PM?
Could Boris Johnson become Britain's shortest-serving PM?
He's barely unpacked at 10 Downing Street, but a vote held in Britain's Parliament overnight has Boris Johnson threatening to hold a snap general election he may very well lose.
Dr Lee said Brexit divisions had "sadly transformed this once great party into something more akin to a narrow faction in which one's Conservatism is measured by how recklessly one wants to leave the European Union".
He also said the Conservative Government was "putting lives and livelihoods at risk unnecessarily and it is wantonly endangering the integrity of the UK".
"More widely, it is undermining our country's economy, democracy and role in the world," Dr Lee wrote.
"It is using political manipulation, bullying and lies. And it is doing these things in a deliberate and considered way."
ABC/wires
POSTED EARLIER TODAY AT 5:17AM
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Well I fucking pray he’ll die for our ‘sins’Father so loved the country he gave his firstborn son and daughter in law to serve its people. It is we who are undeserving of His amazing grace.
I’ll crucified him myself
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- Joined
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The tyranny of the minority..
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Since the UK is a Kingdom, send our scholar general Pinky there and give Boris Johnson to Singapore. Even trade.
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