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Boris Johnson Loses Majority in Parliament after Defection, Could Call Early Elections

posted by martyb on Wednesday September 04 2019, @04:13AM   Printer-friendly
from the Ruh-Roh!-What-happens-now? dept.

takyon writes:

Boris Johnson loses Parliamentary majority, faces Brexit showdown

Britain's Parliament returns from its summer recess and is facing a titanic showdown over Prime Minister Boris Johnson's plans to leave the European Union. Here's what we know:

● Johnson has lost his majority in Parliament, with the defection of Conservative Phillip Lee to the Liberal Democrats.

● The opposition, including members of Johnson's party, is seeking to pass legislation to delay Brexit.

● Johnson has said that if his foes succeed he will call early elections.

Live coverage.

List of prime ministers of the United Kingdom by length of tenure

#54: George Canning, 119 days (1827)
#55: Boris Johnson, 40 days (Incumbent) (2019)

See also: Brexit: Tory MP defects ahead of crucial no-deal vote
How Brexit Blew Up Britain's Constitution

Original Submission

 
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  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday September 04 2019, @08:14PM

    by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday September 04 2019, @08:14PM (#889674)

    Spain would need to change the Constitution, there are no union deals like with UK. So it is possible, just very rare (IIRC needs approval by Chambers, new elections and referendum to approve it, and approval again by new Chambers... and not sure if just >50% or more like >66% in some cases). That is why the Catalonia-only referendum was illegal and a bunch of people are being judged.

    Independentists just have to offer such a nice deal that even Nationalists agree. But, notwithstanding all the "payments" that would have, it would also mean Catalan* politicians would not be able anymore to extort central government ever time it needs votes because there is no majority. Then Catalonia could join EU as new country, but Spain would make it hard (or even veto if they can).

    So the circus continues, and they can distract everyone away from how Pujol family and others enrichened themselves (one good reason it went from noise in the first decades of democracy to full noise in the last one, it was discovered in the '00s), or how central parties also have dirty deals (no one seems to be free of shit). They can not depend on the national soccer team winning constantly.

    *: or Basque, or Canary, or $LOCAL_PARTY... it would be best moment for everyone that "wants" to leave to do it.