With the EU Withdrawal Bill ‘in purgatory’, Parliament is stagnating
sir – The Fixed-term Parliaments Act of 2011 is surely one of the finest examples of the law of unintended consequences. Designed by the coalition government to ensure time and space to pursue its strategies and policies, it is now effectively ensuring the opposite. The current Government is unable to govern and the Opposition thwarts the process to call a general election. Stagnation rules.
Surely one of the first acts of any new administration should be to repeal this unfortunate legislation, as much in its own interest as in the interest of future workable democracy.
John Bath
Clevedon, Somerset
sir – I was amused to see Jacob Rees-mogg’s comment on the Government’s Withdrawal Agreement Bill being “in purgatory” (report, October 23). The Democratic Unionist Party will now be able to rail against one more thing in which they do not believe.
Philip JW Murphy
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
sir – At least in purgatory there is the prospect of getting out.
Provost John S Aveyard Castleford, West Yorkshire
sir – If there is to be an extension, let it be until November 30. Then the first day we are out will be Advent Sunday.
Edward Goddard
Pangbourne, Berkshire
sir – Ever since Boris Johnson promised that the country would leave the EU by October 31, the Remainers in Parliament and outside have attempted to thwart this eventuality, often in the hope that voters will punish the Prime Minister for his failure come the next general election.
However, when the election does come, the public will not blame Mr Johnson for the debacle of the past few weeks, but will rather pin the blame on those MPS who have deliberately obstructed the will of the electorate.
While some who will only countenance a no-deal exit may vote for the Brexit Party, the majority will recognise that the Prime Minister has achieved a more advantageous deal with the EU, and will vote accordingly.
An election will, therefore, see a Conservative government returned with a workable majority and able to vote down any wrecking amendments to the revised Withdrawal Agreement, thus seeing us leave before Christmas.
The end of the tunnel is in sight.
Steve Narancic
Wantage, Oxfordshire
sir – A snap election would allow Nigel Farage to enter Parliament for no reason other than to disrupt it. The opposition parties must get their act together and ensure that the Brexit deal is passed with suitable amendments – even if it means a vote of no confidence and an interim government of national unity.
Dr Christopher M Keast Brimpton, Berkshire
sir – I assume that Mr Johnson will resign on November 1 as he will surely fail to achieve Brexit by October 31 as promised.
Whether or not he then goes on to “die in a ditch” is a matter for his conscience, but were he to do so it would provide him with a reasonable excuse for not having to lie in front of the bulldozers constructing Heathrow’s new runway.
Martin Down
Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire