BORIS JOHNSON is poised to abolish David Cameron’s “catastrophic” and “wretched” law change – which is what, according to constitutional historians, caused the Brexit deadlock.
Boris Johnson will address his new intake of Conservative MPs later today, as they arrive in Westminster to take their seats in Parliament. Many of the 109 new MPs won in areas traditionally held by Labour in Thursday's election, which saw the Tories gain an 80-seat majority. The Queen will formally open Parliament on Thursday when she sets out the Government's legislative programme.
In the Queen’s Speech, Mr Johnson is expected to include the abolition of the Fixed-term Parliaments Act. According to a recent report by The Times, the Tories hope that the repeal will make it easier for them to retain office.
The first elements of changes are said to be “ready to go” and could be put before Parliament before Christmas.
The Fixed-term Parliaments Act is what essentially prevented Mr Johnson from calling an election in September, and what, according to two famed constitutional historians, caused the Brexit deadlock.
During a lecture organised by the Bennet Institute of Public Policy at the University of Cambridge in November, constitutional historian Vernon Bogdanor told Express.co.uk: “There was one person who had predicted its effect. It was me.
“I predicted the Act could allow a Parliament to keep a Prime Minister, who had lost its majority, but without allowing him to call an election or be willing to remove him through a vote of no confidence.”
Under the Act, a general election is scheduled for the first Thursday in May of the fifth year of the previous general election, although there are situations where an election can be called earlier.
The two most important situations where a general election can be earlier are a vote of no confidence in the Government, and a vote of two-thirds of the House of Commons.
Before the Act was passed the power to determine whether a general election should be held early was exercised by the Prime Minister.
The Act transferred this power to Parliament.
In a recent column for The Telegraph, Mr Bogdanor further explained how a vote of no confidence now cannot be attached to legislation because of it.
For example, in 1972, Edward Heath secured the Second Reading of the European Communities Bill which took Britain into the EEC by making it a matter of confidence.
The threat brought rebels to heel and Mr Heath won by eight votes.
Mr Bogdanor said: “The Act prevented Theresa May from using the same expedient to secure the withdrawal agreement.
https://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/12...een-speech-spt
