ANALYSIS
FOR an uplifting moment last night at Westminster, it seemed that there might be light at the end of the tunnel.
Finally, the exhausting stalemate over Brexit could be broken after more than three years of procrastination and paralysis.
In an apparently resounding boost for the Government, MPs backed the Withdrawal Agreement Bill at its second reading by the decisive margin of 30 votes, the first time that the House of Commons had actually backed any Government deal with the EU.
Through his dynamism and determination, Boris Johnson achieved something Theresa May never did in three fraught attempts.
But then the House’s addiction to chaos and confusion kicked in.
Having backed Johnson’s deal, MPs refused to follow the logic of their decision, which would have meant swiftly implementing the required legislation.
Instead, they opted for yet more dither and delay by rejecting the Government’s crucial programme motion, which set out a robust but workable timetable for debate on the Withdrawal Bill.
Their self-indulgent, cowardly move is a recipe for further deadlock. It is unclear what will happen now, given there is no chance of passing the Bill before the end of October, the deadline when Britain is meant to leave the EU.
Brussels may grant a further extension until the end of January, but that is uncertain.
In any case,
Johnson has already signalled his opposition to a further delay.
He would much prefer a General
Election, which he would almost certainly win. But under the Fixed
Term Parliament Act the date of an election is not in his gift so the Zombie Parliament – opposing everything, agreeing nothing – continues.
With this latest delaying tactic, the majority of the political class have just heaped more ridicule on themselves.
The high priest of the Remainers, Dominic Grieve, said yesterday the Government was “treating the House in an insulting way”.
The truth is that the pro-EU brigade is treating the British public in an insulting way by showing disdain for our democracy.
Every one of their arguments against the programme motion was disingenuous.
They said that the Withdrawal Bill needs more scrutiny. For heaven’s sake, Parliament has been debating Brexit since 2016.
They said Boris was trying to “rush” them into a decision to meet his own “arbitrary” deadline of October 31. But it was the EU that set the timetable for an extension.
The greatest hypocrisy of all is their pretence that they need more discussion to make up their minds.
No amount of debate is going to change the closed minds of the Remainer zealots. They are interested only in humiliating the Prime Minister and in thwarting Brexit.
They will not succeed. Through his valiant efforts to honour the referendum result, the Prime Minister increasingly has the public on his side. The opposition may well reap the whirlwind they deserve at the next election.
Brussels may grant an extension until the end of January, but that is uncertain