On the Democratic Audit blog, I have written a post about the prorogation of Parliament and what it tells us about the current state of British politics. I also discuss how reform is needed to avoid politicisation of the monarchy. You can read it by clicking on the blog below. The Queen leaves Parliament after…
Category: Brexit
One Meaningful Vote Too Far: Is Bercow Right?
On Monday, the Speaker, John Bercow, has made a major intervention into the Brexit process. By ruling that the government cannot bring back the “same or substantially the same motion” any chance of Meaningful Vote III this week has practically disappeared. Bercow stated: “If the government wishes to bring forward a new proposition, which is…
If May Loses on Tuesday: Is This Her Route to a General Election?
Last Tuesday, the government lost three votes in the House of Commons. These defeats show how they have lost control of the House as the DUP increasingly withdraws their support. This loss of control is likely to be confirmed on Tuesday 11th, with the government losing the ‘meaningful vote’ on the deal reached with the…
Even For Remainers, A Second Referendum Is Fundamentally Flawed.
Yesterday, several hundred thousand people marched towards Parliament demanding a ‘People’s Vote’ on any deal the government concludes with the EU. For as long as any vote includes the option to remain, it will always be a second referendum. Taking the longer term view of a remainer, the idea of a second referendum is fundamentally…
Miller: How the Article 50 Bill will play out in Parliament
NOTE: This post is an update of an earlier post, taking account of Tuesday’s Supreme Court decision. Today (Tuesday) the Supreme Court delivered its judgment in Miller & Dos Santos v Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union. Its main finding is clear, holding by a majority of 8 to 3 that an Act…
Preview on Miller – An Article 50 Bill? – Parliamentary Fun & Games
This week, the Prime Minister, Theresa May, has unveiled her twelve-point plan for Brexit as March 31st, her self-imposed deadline for invoking Article 50, draws ever closer. Yet, constitutionally there may be two hurdles to clear before invoking Article 50. These hurdles are only “maybes” because it depends on the decision of the Supreme Court…
Article 50: Was the Government Really Divorced From Reality? Analysing the High Court’s Decision in Miller
This post considers the implications of the High Court’s decision in Miller that Parliament needs to grant the government the authority to invoke Art 50. The first post below discusses the High Court judgment itself, and the prospects of the government’s appeal being successful before the Supreme Court. A second post will follow shortly, which…
Brexit – What Happens Next?
NOTE: This post was written at 5am on Friday morning, before Cameron announced his resignation. Once again the polls were wrong, and the UK has voted to leave the EU. Obviously, the ramifications of this decision are enormous both in the short and long term. The immediate question is What Happens Next? There are several significant…