As soon as I heard, yesterday, that John Bercow had it within his powers to rule against a new Meaningful Vote today I knew tit was all over for MV3. There was no way on earth Speaker Bercow would ever do anything to help Brexit, so rule against it he inevitably would. And, lo and behold, this afternoon he has.
A similar thought must have crossed Nick Robinson's mind because this is what he tweeted an hour or so ago:
Breaking news - The Speaker rules that it would be “repetitive & disorderly” for the government to put Johnson’s Brexit Deal to a Meaningful Vote today. In other news Pope is Catholic.
After a complex & verbose statement John Bercow finally says what he means “The House should not be continually bombarded with requests to consider the same matter over & over & over again” or be “brow-beaten, harrassed or intimidated”.Mr Bercow is so impartial he should seriously consider becoming a BBC journalist.
Motion calling for a second referendum was put before Parliament on 14vMarch 2019 and defeated 334-85.
ReplyDeleteWhat's the betting Bercow allows another chance for this "substantially the same" motion to be allowed?
It would be counted as a fresh motion after prorogation is my understanding...but who knows these days? The constitution is now whatever John Bercow and Lady Hale feel it should be, Humpty-Dumpty-fashion - not what it has always been under convention.
DeleteIf the EU(Withdrawal Agreement) Bill is passed the requirement for a Meaningful Vote is repealed (at Clause 32). In general there is a need to do as much as possible in the Committee Stage rather than on the floor of the House of Commons because Bercow is not in the chair during the Committee stage!
ReplyDelete