Boris, it really doesn't matter what you think about the Supreme Court's decision does it? Who are you going to appeal to? The Queen?
And? Petulant Petty Man-Toddler. You lost. Deal with it. Or “no deal” with it. Get it.
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Someone tell British Trump to sit down.
Oh wait, the Supreme Court already did...
Another blight on democracy. Trump, Johnson, Ford (Ontario Premier). Just a disgrace to the office and to the people. We all suffer by being doped. Let the people rise.
Please provide a link to this entire speech, I like to hear if Boris Johnson sounds and acts like Trump
I hope the Queen arrests Boris upon his arrival at Heathrow and throws him in jail for disrespecting the Supreme Court and the Monarchy.
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The British Parliament at least is showing some backbone against their narcissistic sociopath. Our Senate has no backbone.
Doctor was wrong about victim death says convicted murderer.
Boris is trying very hard to be a dictator, but comes across more like a flapping pheasant
Believe a logical fallacy has crept into yet another Brexit article. It seems to go with the territory.
"Parliament voted this month to require Mr. Johnson to ask for an extension rather than exit without a deal, which economists say would do serious economic harm. But there is no obvious way that lawmakers can make him comply."
Law makers would not be required to make him comply.
The Supreme Court could have Peppa Pig (or Big Bird or Elmo) write a letter to the EU requesting an extension, and declare that their paw print was in every interpretation under UK law equivalent to a signature from the Prime Minister.
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Let’s see. Since the Referendum there has been a General Election (in 2017) so it would seem more logical to test the public sentiment by a referendum rather than the third General Election in four years.
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What Johnson wanted the Court to say that it had no jurisdiction thus allowing him to get away with anything he wanted. Unlike our SCOTUS which chickened out on the gerrymandering, they used the legal history to come to the correct decision 11-0 ( so top judges 11, not top judge Johnson 1 (himself!). Not even a split decision!
That's it then, Boris Johnson knows British Law more than the Supreme Court. The resemblance to Trump is truly weird. What is with all the ranting nationalist heads of state? It's like there is some global instantaneous-lithium-deficiency.
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Why doesn't he just organise to appeal the decision? Oh...
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Another one that thinks he's above the law.
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So Boris. The highest court in the land says you acted illegally. You say they’re wrong. Guess what? Doesn’t matter what you think or say about that Boris. They win. You lose.
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Well Mr. Johnson, the UK Supreme Court has the final say, so you're the one who's wrong.
Stop trying to destroy the UK from 10 Downing Street.
You can disagree with the ref, but you are still going to be sent off. The Supreme Court, in the UK, is right by definition. Johnson would get some support from me (not much, but more than otherwise) if he were to agree with the court, apologize, and move on. Corbyn has said he wants a General Election once Johnson agrees to requesting a futher extension of the Brexit date. To call a GE now for late October with a 31 October Brexit date would be ridiculous: it's possible that a government with literally a few days in office woud have to finalize the deal. Absurd. Johnson has one honourable course: accept the court decision; apologize to all; request a further 3 to 6 month extension; and call a GE.
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No - there is a more sensible alternative given an election will lead to yet another hung parliament and that is a second referendum. Ballot paper: Remain v negotiated deal (which has to be May’s as the current incumbent has negotiated diddly-squat).
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We all ought to be fearful of “leaders” who repeatedly impugn the judgement of the Courts only when the decision is inconvenient to them. No wonder Johnson and Trump like each other.
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Oh I see. 11 Supreme Court Judges, who voted unanimously, are wrong and Boris is right.
This is the same Boris, isn’t it, who told voters in 2016 that Brexit would put 350 pounds a week back into the NHS only only to say, the very day after the vote, that that wasn’t what he meant. He’d only been driving around for weeks in a bus with that emblazoned on the side.
This is the same Boris who has been fired for lying?
I can see how some people might be confused about who is right.
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Boris apparently wants us to believe he is more knowledgeable about the law than the 11 Supreme Court judges.
One can only admire the chutzpah.
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I think that's what the captain of the Titanic said about the iceberg.
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Thank goodness he didn't get a chance to pack the courts like the donald and Moscow Mitch.
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What a great Supreme Court. Can we please have one too?
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Funny stuff about AI in his speech. He clearly knows nothing about AI (no surprise there, given he is a politician) but he seems to know a lot about sci-fi. What did he study in university? Let me guess: sci-fi?
Yet another thing Johnson and Trump have in common - they can't stand having to follow laws or being told no.
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And, the Attorney General was only the supporting act for these frankly disturbing scenes in the UK Parliament.
Since the article was written, Boris Johnson has risen to speak to a scene even more incendiary, even more insane and bile spattered. The most ghastly episode came when one of the opposition representatives asked Johnson to tone down his inflammatory and divisive rhetoric - 'because that's the language that got (lawmaker) Jo Cox murdered' to which Johnson replied 'humbug!...' My God, I'm 65 years old and I've never seen anything like this before.
Johnson and his dreadful coterie of proto-dictators have had to go for broke, go 'all-in' for the game because, actually, he's completely trapped, entombed in a metal box - welded shut now, by yesterday's Supreme Court defeat. Of course the Opposition aren't going to agree to an election (which they, procedurally must do) because Johnson, where he is now, will simply destroy himself. His ONLY hope is an election in which he wins a Parliamentary majority (which he presently lacks). Why on earth would the other parties - the 'cowards' and the 'turkeys' offer him that?
In typical style, Johnson's only response is hateful belicose bluster. He's incredibly weak and vulnerable and trying to hide it. Frankly, the effect of these shenanigans - not dissimilar to those that were seen in 1930s Germany - is more division, more hatred and, frankly, the real risk of a violent reaction and counter-reaction in the country.
Scary...
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This is absolutely fascinating. British politics is in new territory. As is US politics. It’s as if the democracies are being pushed to their constitutional limits. It will be interesting to see if the system of checks and balances works and bring these democracies back to regular order.
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Notice in the picture that Boris Johnson's speech to the UN has fewer than half the delegation in their seats. "Oh my, Boris Johnson is speaking today. Yawn."
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Johnson and trump.
Separated at birth?
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Not completely separated. Still conjoined in mind.
The proceedings going on right now in the House of Commons I have never seen the like of.
The anger, fury and rhetoric must be unprecedented
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Johnson’s descriptive dystopian predictions about TOMORROW, censored the ever-present toxic, infectious personal unaccountability of policymakers, elected and selected, at ALL levels. Everywhere! In an enabled WE-THEY universe, and diverse cultures, violating selected, targeted, people as well as the environment. Daily!
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@S.Einstein Thank you for your profound insights from the world of populist world views. Everwhere. We-They. We - the pure people - They the infectuous policy makers.
I admire your capacity to reduce the complexity of the entire world (Everywhere!) to Us vs. Them.
Chapeau !
Yo BoJo 11 to 0! I think this is where do you get off the bus Govn'a.
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Johnson sounds more like Trump every day.
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johnson is beyond trump declaring the base of democracy for irrelevant and false by nonaccepting a supreme-court decision. only a tyrann feels above the law
johnson is beyond trump declaring the base of democracy for irrelevant and false by nonaccepting a supreme-court decision. only a tyrann feels above the law
@danuel As does Trump. He daily proves the law and Democracy mean nothing to him.
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Boris Johnson may well say that Britain’s Supreme Court ‘was wrong’ but sadly he has provided no legal rationale to back up this assertion. In other words, he may disagree with the verdict, he may not like it, but he has no evidence to show that it is wrong.
The verdict of the Supreme Court shows the importance of a judiciary independent of the political system.
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@Andrew "a judiciary independent of the political system."
What a novel idea. We should try that here in the United States.
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It seems unlikely that any of the parties would agree to an election they didn't expect to win, that the executive would ignore the law prohibiting a no deal exit or that the EU would deny an extension just to resolve the matter, so this issue could be around for some time.
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As long as Corbyn stays the head of Labour, the conservatives will remain in power - with or without Johnson. It is time for both Corbyn and Johnson to go and the UK to start fresh (and dump Brexit).
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@BMD
Corbyn - a Bernie Sanders clone - has grown in stature over the last few days and is presenting himself to the media (something he has pretty much shunned previously) as quite the statesman.
I think, though I would NOT want to see a Corbyn government - his compromise proposal; exclude no-deal Brexit, attempt to renogotiate a new deal with the EU and put the deal - existing or not - to the electorate in a further referendum with 'Remain in the EU' as an another option and, very important, make his party campaign in that referendum as 'Brexit neutral' is a good one.
Of all the plans, Corbyn's sounds the most credible. Mind you, nothing here is remotely 'credble' at the moment. Truly, through the looking glass.
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Labour under Corbyn is hopeless. Boris is hopeless. There is no leadership. Circling the drain will go on. Maybe the EU should suggest rescinding article 50 is the only way they’ll grant an extension, new election or no election, new plebiscite or none. Maybe that would coalesce the fragmented remainers?
That really would amount to the EU running Britain.
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@John Brews ✳️❇️❇️✳️
The only teeny, tiny little snag with that idea is that rescinding Article 50 would mean the UK remained in the EU, exactly as it was before this omnishambles began! An extension becomes, therefore, defunct as there is nothing to extend.
The EU does not want the UK to leave with, perhaps, the possible exception of France who would like to see us suffer for our politicians' frustration of the EU project before allowing us back in on much stricter terms. They will deal, through backdoor channels where necessary, with the opposition and I am fiarly sure (as much as anyone can be these days) that the UK won't just be allowed to crash out.
The EU knows Johnson's time is nearly up and his party is finished for the foreseeable future. Quite how this will play out is anyone's guess and I am sure the Tories have a whole new set of dirty and anti-democratic tricks to pull, straight from Trump's own playbook.
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Now Parliament is back in session, what are they going to do? Sit around and yell at each other?
The Supreme Court took power away from the government to lead the country, and gave that power to no one. So now Parliament is impotent.
Meanwhile, Boris Johnson continues to negotiate with the EU and, in particular, with Ireland. Mightn't he have won after all?
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@John Smithson
Let's see what he negotiated first. Because, Johnson cannot be trusted on anything. The EU says that Johnson has not been acting in good faith for months.
And, Johnson isn't negotiating with Ireland, he's talking to Leo Varadkar, that's all. Brexit is about the UK and the European Union. The EU is, surprisingly, about 'union'. It's negotiating with Johnson as a bloc, not as 27 independent countries. That's why it's successful and powerful, that's why people like Johnson and Trump hate it.
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The court ruled on the specific question put to them. No-one asked that Johnson stop negotiations. However he must answer to Parliament which always has the final say. It can accept the result Johnson gets or, like it did with Ms May’s effort, reject it entirely or in part.
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Boris-please resign.
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Why not just have a snap general election. In or out? It will resolve the issue and allow the UK to move on.
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@RT A new election on Brexit is needed BUT it must include a detailed exclamation of what the Brexit agreement would be along with information about the consequences, e.g. Irish border, finance , trade etc
If Mr. Johnson’s government is pushing for a no deal Brexit then all of those consequences should be enumerated .
The big mistake in the last referendum was that there was no definition of what people were voting on. So the vote was based to large degree upon emotion and patriotic forever .
Hopefully , If the electorate are informed, they would vote to remain within the EU.
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@RT Because it requires the consent of Labour. And it is not in the best interest for Labour to support and election now while the Tories are polling well. MPs are tied together in this increasing misery. Brexit is a Torie creation and the reason for the Torie civil war which there is no consensus.
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@RT
Why would the opposition throw away the stranglehold they have on Johnson? Over the next couple of weeks, his arrogance, hubris and dishonesty will destroy himself.
What's that about 'never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake'.. Johnson's enemies know this, too.
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Johnson, someone without principle it seems, and his merry band of “Brexiteers” seem determined to have their way come what may whatever the cost. No blow too low, no lie too bold or too farfetched to not be told. Even if it wrecks the UK.
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@Steve Singer And the money for the Brexit campaign and its 350 mill £ lie came in part from Russia, via Aron Banks, it seems.
see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_interference_in_the_2016_Brexit_referendum
Compared to the Russians' desinformation campaigns the liberal democracies behave as simple fumblers.
And Robert Mercer was also "helpful" to the Brexit campaign.
As a person married to a Brit, all I can say is that unelected Boris and his illegal actions are disgrace to democracy. He should resign.
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Boris Johnson is even more like Donald Trump than I’d already realized. With the crazies leading other countries, we have an international crisis almost as serious as global climate change.
The tragedy is that both originated with Homo sapiens. At the point in evolution, our species does not deserve its name.
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Whatever you think of him, he gets points for quoting Wallace and Gromit
“your fridge will beep for more cheese.”
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We used to think that American governmental roots were in Parliament, but we see that the new Parliament is now rooted in the chaotic transplanting of Trumpism where lies abound, promises are made but never intended to be kept and where novices are able to grab power through notoriety rather than recognized competence. Way too many people see government as like a television show where people can call in their votes to the best singer of songs, and ten change the channel to watch some soap opera.
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He is absolutely right about having to plan now for ethical considerations to guide development of the future. It should not be left to chance.
10
Mr. Johnson and Trump are either brothers or genetically matched politically, libido-matched and both piggery. Poor Mr. Johnson however is more the actor whereas Mr. Trump is more pathological and older. Both will imprint history with terrible legacy of tiny-minded men with an abundance of testosterone and hubris.
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"which economists say would be economically damaging." The depth of word craft here is really top notch. I suppose zoologists would find it zoologically damaging? Geologic geologists?
17
I wonder - given the rather strong and thorough decision by the Law Lords, and the likelihood of a vote of no confidence in Trump-clone Johnson, likely this time to lead to the inability of the Torries to form a government, will his occupation of his seat be the shortest in British history?
What are the procedures for appointing a caretaker PM to keep Parliament running until snap elections?
What minority parties could play PM-maker by joining Labour in a coalition (are there enough ministers to the left of Labour to do it (or Torries who might rebel)?
Is Parliament in for a period of uncertainty?
Where does the Construction-less Constitutional monarchy stand if Queen Elizabeth refuses to be pulled into this mess?
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@Eatoin Shrdlu
Having no majority in the house, Johnson can be brought down at anytime by an Opposition vote of no-confidence. There follows a period of 14 days when the Opposition (see below) can attempt to persuade the Queen that they are capable of forming a government. It's unlikely the Queen would refuse this. If an alternative government cannot be formed, there is an automatic general election.
Jeremy Corbyn does not have the numbers to form a Labour government, so he will have to form some sort of coalition - possibly a 'govenment of national unity'.
The sticking points are that Corbyn hasn't got anything but lukewarm support from the other parties - the Liberal Democrats and Scottish National Party are the big players. So far, it hasn't been agreed that Corbyn will head such a coalition or that he has any mandate to take the lead on doing forming such an Executive. These are arcane issues of Parliamentary procedure which have never been properly tested before.
And, nope, the Queen NEVER gets involved in politics and absolutely will not be doing so now. This is crucial, essential to the core of the (unwritten) British constitution. It's totally non-negotiable. The Queen has all power and she has none. It's hard to explain this to non-Brits. Does America have something like this - something constitutional which is totally important but doesn't always appear so?
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What high drama -- on both sides of the pond. But at least the UK seems to have an independent non-partisan Supreme Court and a smart, articulate Prime Minister. I mean, fridges pinging for cheese? Here in the US we have a dull-witted, dreary, and truly shambolic President.
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