Friday 20 September 2019

Brexit is no longer Brexit

I wrote a few times how that the powers enshrined in the once great withdrawal bill could be seen as a continuation of the restrictions on the ability of we, small people, to question the Executive and authority.

Be it through trying to limit Judicial Review (JR), Freedom of Information (FoI) or the limiting of Legal Aid, it means that we cannot question decisions taken by MPs, Ministers or our local authorities.

Now look at what has been done to Parliament, and the rumour what more Johnson and Cummings would do to drive through a no deal Brexit, and yesterday we heard Government lawyers try to claim that the Executive is superior to Parliament.

If the Government wins, in that the case was not reviewable under the Law of the Land, then centuries of Parliamentary history will be turned on its head; the Prime Minister could suspend Parliament at any point of his choosing, for any length of time and with no real purpose other than to frustrate the oversight of both Houses.

Johnson might not be a despot, but someone who follows might well be, and use this ruling to turn the UK into a police state, or worse.

And there would be no recourse, no appeals, no hearing in the High Court.

Be very careful what you wish for.

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