News / Carmichael among MPs who defeated Johnson
ISLES MP Alistair Carmichael was one of the 328 MPs who voted to take control of business in the House of Commons on Tuesday night.
The defeat of the Boris Johnson government will allow the parliament to bring forward an anti no-deal Brexit bill that, if adopted, could prevent the UK crashing out from the EU without a deal.
Should the bill pass a general election before the 31 October deadline is possible.
During the debate on Tuesday the government lost its working majority when Conservative MP Phillip Lee joined the Liberal Democrats. Twenty one Conservative MPs had their whip withdrawn after voting against the government.
Following the dramatic scenes in the Commons on Tuesday night, Carmichael said the plans by the government to suspend parliament for five weeks had provoked the “unusual but not unprecedented” move.
“The Liberal Democrats are speaking for a substantial number of people in the country who say we’ve had enough of this and it’s time to stop it. We’re not going to play Boris Johnson’s games,” he said.
“This is an opportunity for the House of Commons to ensure that Boris Johnson and Dominic Cummings do not have the right to crash us out of the EU on Halloween without a deal.”
The Orkney and Shetland MP added: “Taking control of business is a serious undertaking. This vote was not the first choice of the cross-party group of MPs who came together today (Tuesday). It was forced by the reckless government that has no respect for parliamentary democracy.
“Boris Johnson suggested in his statement that his plan to leave the EU with or without a deal was helping to progress deal negotiations. There is no evidence that this is the case. Even today the Taoiseach of the Republic of Ireland warned again of the ‘very real risk’ of the return of a hard border.
“Today’s vote is a measured and necessary first step to ensure parliament’s role in the Brexit process, and to defend our communities from a damaging and destructive no-deal Brexit.”
“We know that this would be catastrophic for all range of businesses in the Northern Isles, particularly crofters and salmon farmers who will be exporting their products in massive quantities at that time of year.”
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