Thread by @prospect_clark

1. I still don’t know if Johnson actually wants No Deal, but if he does I’m becoming doubtful legislation can stop him ....

2. No 10 wheezes floated today include with-holding Royal Assent, not complying with the law and enlisting Hungary’s thuggish leader Viktor Orban to veto London’s enforced request for an extension in the European Council

3. There’s no agreement on what a law that has to be passed in full over the next week will actually say, never mind be operationalised through a premier determined to resist. And it has to be through the premier because when Europe negotiated with “London” that means the PM

4. As I say, I really don’t know what he wants — game could STILL be getting Parliament to block him, screaming blue murder, going to country and uniting the Leave vote pre-Oct 31.

5. (Tho if that were plan, even with a majority of 150 he could be ruined both either the consequences of No Deal or by failure to deliver it by the end of the year, so the opposite of foolproof)

6. I even wonder if idea could be getting MPs to vote through May’s deal while running as an insurgent campaign against it. Then tapping insurgent anger with an election an anti-politician campaign later

7. God knows. All I’m sure of is whatever Johnson wants will be based on advantaging himself in domestic politics

8. But He’s plainly prepared to at least risk No Deal by default for self-serving reasons. And as prime minister, he’s in the driving seat procedurally. Parliament can lob rocks at the vehicle which may or may not change its direction a bit, but it can’t take the wheel

9. More reliable strategy to stop No Deal *should* be no-confidence vote. Even that isn’t as safe as it should be, because we have a rogue regime which says it would squat in No 10.

10. But — to end on hopeful note — I suspect there could still come a point where Cummings’ evil genius turns out to be too clever by half

11. I’m not sure squatting in No 10 could be sustained for long at all, and I don’t believe voters would take kindly to being consulted only after No Deal

12. So to balance the chilling Weimar comparison from @RichardEvans36 which we published on Friday, here’s a little piece on why the Johnson could yet turn out to be the shortest ever
prospectmagazine.co.uk/politics/could…

13. Oh dear, unfortunate typo. Shortest premiership ever, not shortest Johnson ever

Over & out on that note