E-Paper
UK PM Boris Johnson’s brother quits amid plotting on election date
The date of election assumes significance for two reasons: Labour and other opposition parties want to ensure that it is held only after the Johnson government seeks an extension of the October 31 Brexit date from the EU.
The focus in Westminster moved marginally on Thursday from the shape of Brexit to when a mid-term election should take place: on October 15, preferred by Prime Minister Boris Johnson, but after the Brexit deadline of October 31 mulled by the opposition.
After suffering four defeats in the House of Commons in the last 48 hours, Johnson was dealt another blow when his brother, Jo Johnson, resigned as minister and MP because he is “torn between family loyalty and national interest,” suggesting that he against his brother’s Brexit policy.
The date of election assumes significance for two reasons: Labour and other opposition parties want to ensure that it is held only after the Johnson government seeks an extension of the October 31 Brexit date from the EU. They are unsure he will do so even after the bill to prohibit a no-deal Brexit receives royal assent and becomes law.
Secondly, the opposition would like to deny Johnson the advantage of going to the people with his ‘deal or no-deal Brexit’ promise. Latest opinion polls suggest that such a stance would exploit public ennui over Brexit delays and benefit the Conservative party.
The Johnson government announced that it would move another motion on Monday to call for the election. It lost the motion on Wednesday when it failed to secure Labour’s support and secure the two-thirds majority required under the Fixed-Term Parliaments Act 2011.
Labour’s position has been that it would support the motion only after the bill prohibiting no-deal Brexit receives royal assent. The bill was passed by the House of Commons on Wednesday and members of the House of Lords agreed to pass it on Monday.
Johnson used an event in Yorkshire on Thursday to accuse Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn of running away from supporting the motion on the ground that the latter fears losing in the election: the third since the 2015 general election.
Since Johnson does not have a majority in the House of Commons and the fact that such a motion needs a two-thirds majority, he is dependent on Labour and other opposition leaders to trigger the election. The opposition wants the election on a date of its choosing.
Jo Johnson, 47, younger brother of the prime minister, is also a former journalist: he was posted in New Delhi as the Financial Times bureau chief from 2005 to 2008. He was the minister of state for universities, science, research and innovation.
Johnson tweeted: “It’s been an honour to represent Orpington for 9 years & to serve as a minister under three PMs. In recent weeks I’ve been torn between family loyalty and the national interest - it’s an unresolvable tension & time for others to take on my roles as MP & Minister”.
Prime Minister Johnson faced a bruising Thursday morning as the British press went to town with the theme that he has been ‘cornered’ after being defeated in several voting rounds in the House of Commons on Wednesday, losing control of the parliamentary agenda with a minority in the House.
Elsewhere, courts in Scotland and England continued hearings on challenges brought by several MPs and Indian-origin campaigner Gina Miller against the prorogation of parliament earlier than scheduled. Ruling are expected next week.
