Section:GDN 1J PaGe:1 Edition Date:190829 Edition:01 Zone: Sent at 28/8/2019 19:16 cYanmaGentaYellowbla
A
n “outrage”, a “coup”, an
“abomination”, a country tumbling
into “failed state status”, Britain a
“banana republic”, Boris Johnson a
“dictator”. Parliamentarians stretch
the limits of their vocabulary to
express disbelief that this could
happen in Britain, the “cradle
of democracy”. Rewrite the history books, tear up
Bagehot ’s The English Constitution , as the Queen and
privy council sign the prorogation , neither the “dignifi ed
parts” not the “effi cient parts” function any longer.
This country that self-identifi ed so smugly as stable,
tolerant and moderate, with a crown to symbolise
traditions honed down the centuries, is revealed as
fi ssile, fragile and ferociously divided. A constitution
that relied on gentlemanly governments’ willingness to
bow to parliament has evaporated, blown away now it’s
led by a man who doesn’t give a damn for parliamentary
sovereignty: taking back control is for him alone. He is
ready to destroy anything that threatens his ambition.
MPs will try to stop him proroguing them.
Astonishingly, this unelected prime minister has so far
only spent one day in the Commons under their scrutiny,
and now, after fi ve weeks away, he will face them for justone week before banishing them for an unprecedented
further fi ve weeks. They get just one tight week to
rise up and rebel, when surely they will vote in great
numbers against the prorogation the Speaker calls
“ a constitutional outrage ... an off ence against the
democratic process and the rights of parliamentarians as
the people’s elected representatives ”. Johnson’s riposte
will be, “So what?” Their vote has no legal standing.
But as he sends MPs on their way with a fl ea in their ear,
what will the public think of his insolent defi ance of
parliament? They will decide in the end – and they may
not stand for it.
The sense of violation of democracy reverberates
everywhere. But what should civil serv ants do when
power is seized in front of their eyes? Do they carry on
obeying orders to drive the country into a no-deal Brexit
disaster when they see parliament barred from that
nation-changing decision? I asked Bob Kerslake , former
head of the civil service, where their duty lies.
“We are reaching the point where the civil service
must consider putting its stewardship of the country
ahead of service to the government of the day,” he said.
That is a devastating verdict.
Mark Sedwill , the current head, should,
along with all other senior civil servantsIt now falls to us to defend parliament from this abuse Owen Jones, page 3
Johnson wrongfooted his enemies: an election looms Isabel Hardman, page 4
How air conditioning is heating the world The long read, page 9
The Guardian
ILLUSTRATION:
SÉBASTIEN THIBAULTThursday 29 August 2019
Polly
Toynbee
A civil war state
of mind now
threatens our
democracy
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