British parliament passed a law that requires Prime Minister Boris Johnson to request another delay for the United Kingdom's exit from the European Union, but Johnson has stood by his pledge to take the Kingdom out of the Union on October 31st.
Both things cannot happen unless Johnson actually follows through on some of the arcane strategies his regime is reportedly considering; strategies that could get him kicked to the curb by the Queen herself according to top lawmakers.
Former Tory Whip Dominic Grieve says Queen Elizabeth may be forced to remove Johnson from office if he disobeys the Supreme Court and tries to exit the European Union in a hard, no-deal Brexit.
The Queen would dismiss Boris Johnson as prime minister if he refused to comply with a law requiring him to seek an extension to Brexit talks, leading Remainer Dominic Grieve has said.
The former attorney general said the PM would be “out in five minutes” if he tried to defy a Supreme Court order to go to Brussels.
Mr Grieve said he expected current attorney Geoffrey Cox and lord chancellor Robert Buckland would resign, while the civil service would withdraw co-operation with a prime minister openly flouting the law in this way.
The idea that the Queen would remove Johnson from office seems almost too fantastical to me, but how exactly is Johnson planning to flout the law that requires him to ask the EU for another delay?
According to recent reports, Johnson may get around the law by sending a letter to the EU asking for a delay as required by law, but then send another letter to cancel it.
Johnson's regime has also reportedly considered claiming that the public referendum that led to the Brexit takes precedence over the law recently passed by parliament.
As an American it's easy for me to dismiss all of this as a sideshow, but I don't see what the point of any these theatrics is. The Queen could remove Johnson tomorrow and Britain would still be scheduled to exit the European Union early next year following another delay.
Until parliament reaches a consensus and concedes that the Brexit was a terrible idea to begin with and agrees to cancel it, this is all just one long game of musical chairs on Downing Street.
Theresa May. Boris Johnson. Whoever comes next. None of them can thread the infinitesimal needle of securing a Brexit deal that does not significantly harm the British economy and/or possibly lead to the resumption of violence in Ireland. These circumstances that necessitate delay now will also prompt a delay next year. There will always be a reason for a delay.
Someone has to lose and it has to be pro-Brexit lawmakers. The alternative is so bad it has led to a constitutional crisis.