Brexit déjà vu becoming timeless as the clocks go back
The clocks are going back but the Week Ahead contains one timeless certainty - another week of dramatic developments over Brexit. Chris Burn reports.
After Boris Johnson was forced to write to the EU to request a Brexit delay following the historic Saturday sitting of Parliament not resulting in a decisive vote on his Withdrawal Agreement, politicians face yet another theoretically decisive week over Britain’s departure from the European Union.
The Prime Minister will make another attempt to get his Brexit deal passed in a bid to deliver on his promise to leave the EU by the end of this month. As his predecessor Theresa May said on Saturday, “I have a distinct sense of déjà vu”.
There will no let up in the political drama as there is also the very real prospect the Mr Johnson will lose a vote on his Queen’s Speech later this week. No Prime Minister has ever attempted to press ahead with making laws after losing such a vote - the last time it happened was in 1924 and then Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin resigned straight away - something Mr Johnson has indicated he would not contemplate doing if the vote goes against.
Under the Fixed Term Parliaments Act, such a result does not automatically trigger an election - but it would undoubtedly trigger fresh calls for one to take place, including in all likelihood from Mr Johnson himself whose attempts to secure such a vote have been previously blocked by Opposition parties on the grounds they fear allowing it to happen would have led to a no-deal Brexit.
RUGBY WORLD CUP
The Rugby World Cup in Japan is entering its final stages, with England hoping to book a place in the final if they can overcome the might of New Zealand on Saturday morning.
England were highly impressive in their quarter-final victory against Australia but will be up against it when they take on the mighty All Blacks.
Japan will be in the news for a different reason earlier in the week as the Prince of Wales arrives in Tokyo on Tuesday for a two-day visit to celebrate British-Japanese connections. ONLINE GAMING
Tomorrow will see the publication of a major new study by the Children’s Commissioner on the effects of online gaming on young people and how some of them see the games they are playing as a form of gambling.
There have also been concerns that online gaming is exposing children to disturbing, abusive or potentially illegal content, particularly when other players may be older and anonymous.
The report’s findings will feed into Government ambitions to make the UK “the safest place in the world to be online”.
HER MAJESTY’S MISSION
The Queen will be attending a reception to mark the 60th anniversary of Cruse Bereavement Care at St James’s Palace in London today.
The Queen is patron of the charity which offers free bereavement support, advice and information through a network of nearly 5,000 volunteers. She will be meeting individuals who have been instrumental in providing bereavement support following devastating events, including 9/11 and the Grenfell Tower Fire - after which a team of Cruse volunteers were based at Grenfell’s Family and Friends Assistance Centre for nine months. LIGHT SHOW
St Paul’s Cathedral is to host a spectacular light show celebrating the heroes of the Second World War between Thursday and Sunday. The ‘Where Light Falls’ illuminations will be projected onto the building alongside new poetry and tell the fascinating story of the St Paul’s Watch who ensured the survival of the Cathedral during the Blitz.
CLOCKS CHANGE
Winter is undoubtedly on its way and the nights will be drawing in further from Sunday after the clocks go back at 2am.