The Prime Minister faces a choice today. He can try to plough ahead with his short timetable for legislative approval of his Brexit deal or he can take a deep breath, ask for a short extension and show that he has listened to parliament’s desire for more time.
There is deep disquiet among MPs about the government allowing only three days of debate. They may, later today, defeat the government’s “programme motion” – throwing the who thing into further chaos. The government will then demand an election, which MPs seem in no mood to grant, because they are terrified of the voters and the epic kicking they have stored up. They can only block an election thanks to the appalling FTPA.
Truly, the Fixed Term Parliament Act is the most wicked and destructive piece of legislation in living memory, because it creates zombie parliaments like this. It was created by the coalition in 2010 when its architects were desperate to get their bums on cabinet seats.
George Osborne, now posing as a journalist, should be reminded of his role in this debacle every day.
Back to today. The uproar about the timetable stretches well beyond the muppets and maniacs in parliament who persist in trying to halt Brexit, the equivalent in a democracy of playing with matches in a firework factory.
