British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is preparing to face Tuesday, September 3, the sling of deputies on his own side, the Conservative party, hostile to a Brexit without agreement.
The Parliament is back and, despite the threat of Boris Johnson to call early parliamentary elections in mid-October in case of defeat at Westminster, the "rebel" conservatives should support the opposition to try to impose a new Brexit report. A first vote on the calendar must also take place on the same day in the House of Commons.
If the outcome is negative for the government, the Prime Minister will present a motion to organize parliamentary elections on October 14, according to a government official.
"The Prime Minister does not want an election but it will depend on the choice of members in the vote tomorrow," warned Monday, the official on condition of anonymity.
This motion will be put to the vote of the deputies Wednesday and adopted if it collects two thirds of the votes. The date of October 14 "will allow a new Prime Minister to be in office before the European summit" of October 17 and 18 in Brussels, said the same source.
Tories "rebels" threatened with exclusion
Boris Johnson warned: he "does not want an election" and will not ask for a postponement of Brexit in Brussels "under any circumstances".
The head of the government considers rather an exit of the European Union without agreement if he can not find a compromise with Brussels by October 31st, date envisaged of the divorce. On it, Boris Johnson says he is intractable. "We are leaving on October 31. There is no 'but'" he wrote Monday night in a tweet.
To show our friends in Brussels that we are united in our purpose, we should vote against Corbyn's pointless delay.
I want to call to Brussels to delay. We are leaving on 31 Oct, no ifs or goals. 🇬🇧
Hardening the tone before this parliamentary return which promises to be agitated, the Prime Minister threatened Monday of exclusion of the party the "rebel" Tories, who would like to vote with the opposition, whereas it has only one voice of absolute majority in the Lower House of Parliament.
Last week, he had decided to suspend Parliament for five weeks, until October 14, triggering the fury of many deputies who saw a maneuver to "gag".
"The Prime Minister seems to do everything in his power to lead to an election, while saying that this is the last thing he wants," said a source close to the group of "rebel" conservatives.
The principal concerned, for his part, that he simply wants to show a "united" front in Brussels not to weaken London in its attempt to renegotiate the agreement reached between the former head of government, Theresa May, and Brussels. The "chances" of an agreement with the EU "have increased" in recent weeks, he said.
Boris Johnson will address the House in the afternoon, before giving way to Michael Gove, his right hand man preparing for a Brexit without agreement.
Campaign for a new referendum
According to the BBC, anti no deal members would like to postpone the divorce with the EU on 31 January. But for this, they must first get their hands on the parliamentary agenda, controlled by the government.
Thanks to a rule entitled "Standing Order 24" (So24), they could request an urgent parliamentary debate. The Speaker of the House of Commons, John Bercow, who sees Parliament's suspension as a "constitutional scandal", should be in favor.
Labor's chief opposition leader, Jeremy Corbyn, keeps all options open in this tactical legislative battle, including a no-confidence motion against the government.
The latter supports the organization of legislative elections "so that people decide their future". Labor would then campaign for a new referendum on EU membership.
Demonstrations in favor of early elections are also scheduled Tuesday before Parliament.
Several actions brought
The battle is also legal. Boris Johnson's government must respond to several initiatives aimed at preventing the suspension of Parliament.
On Tuesday, the highest civilian body in Scotland has to consider the merits of a request to counter the suspension of Parliament by nearly 75 pro-European parliamentarians. They had tried last week to stop the suspension, but their urgent appeal was rejected.
The High Court of Northern Ireland, for its part, will consider another appeal, filed urgently on behalf of a North Irish human rights activist, Raymond McCord.
In London on Thursday, a hearing will focus on an action brought by anti-Brexit businesswoman and activist Gina Miller and backed by former Conservative Prime Minister John Major.
Gina Miller had already won a legal battle in 2017 to force the government, then led by Theresa May, to consult Parliament on the withdrawal process.
With AFP