Express & Star comment: Politicians stumble to a new low
Just when you think our British politicians can stoop no lower, they manage to tumble down to yet another level of utter ineptitude.
Yesterday’s explosive Supreme Court ruling means that we now have a Prime Minister who has potentially misled the Queen so he can shut down Parliament.
Regardless of the legal arguments over why Boris Johnson took the action that he did, the consequences will undoubtedly be far-reaching.
His intentions may well be to deliver Brexit, but he appears to have gone about it in the most ham-fisted manner imaginable.
And if he has a rabbit up his sleeve, he’s doing a very good job of hiding it.
The immediate result of the court’s ruling is that Parliament was today returning, with MPs no doubt emboldened.
Make no mistake, the majority of our politicians did not want to head back to the Commons solely for the purpose of scrutinising the Government.
For those MPs determined to stop Brexit, this is a major victory.
Now, under the guidance of Remainer Speaker John Bercow they are highly likely to try and use the time to block an October 31 departure once and for all.
For Jeremy Corbyn, the decision comes as manna from heaven, landing during a tumultuous Labour conference which up until the court’s ruling had been beset by Brexit in-fighting, radical manifesto pledges and a plot to oust deputy leader Tom Watson.
But the court’s ruling is not just disastrous for the Tories, it is also a serious blow to the prospects of Brexit.
The fact is, there is no Brexit deal that will ever get through a House of Commons.
And with that in mind, the words of arch Remainer Anna Soubry in the wake of the court’s verdict were telling when she said: “The people of this country are taking back control.”
Taking back control of what precisely? Do MPs really believe that those people who voted to leave with the EU will be happy to sit back and watch our politicians block the implementation of a democratic vote?
The trouble is that MPs, cloistered in their own world, are oblivious to just how detached they are now seen to be by many people.
It has been blindingly obvious for some time now that there is a huge disconnect between Westminster and a public that is at its wits’ end.
Like many of the elder statesmen of British politics, the majority of people – regardless of how they voted in the referendum – are resigned to looking on in despair from the sidelines.
And while politicians cook up their latest plans, the uncertainty for businesses across the country deepens.
On the face of it, Mr Johnson has taken a monumental risk that has backfired.
But while the political classes rejoice and call for his head, there will no doubt be those among the public who regard him as one of the few people actually trying to deliver Brexit.
Now, finally, a solution must be found to this mess.
If Mr Corbyn and those arguing the case to stay in the EU want Mr Johnson out, then why not accept the offer of an election? Only then will we see what the public are more concerned about – the suspension of Parliament, or the concerted efforts of some of our MPs to overturn the result of the referendum.
