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Boris Johnson Takes on Parliament—and Loses

September 4, 2019 | News | No Comments

On Tuesday afternoon, hours before Prime Minister Boris Johnson lost a historic vote in Parliament—one that may bring down his government and force new elections in a matter of weeks—he was standing in the House of Commons, plying a cardboard imitation of Winston Churchill. Members of Parliament were trying to bring a bill to the floor which would keep Johnson from heedlessly crashing the United Kingdom out of the European Union without basic arrangements in place regarding travel and trade and a host of other issues. He complained that they wanted him to go to the E.U. and “beg,” “running up the white flag,” and that their anti-no-deal bill would undermine his proposals, even though there is no evidence that he has put any substantive proposals forward. He called the legislation “Jeremy Corbyn’s surrender bill,” a reference to the opposition Labour Party leader, even though it was also supported by many members of Johnson’s own Conservative Party, who, in doing so, were defying threats that they would be expelled from the Party and face losing their seats. “I will never surrender!” Johnson declared, as if the bravery were on his side, and not on theirs. The act was not convincing. Johnson was jeered and booed.

The United Kingdom, at the moment, seems almost leaderless. Johnson lost the vote on Tuesday by a margin of 328–301, with twenty-one Tory M.P.s—including Nicholas Soames, who is Churchill’s grandson, and the former Cabinet members Philip Hammond and Rory Stewart—voting against him. The vote was a procedural one, meant to allow M.P.s to take control of the Parliamentary agenda, so that they can bring the legislation forestalling a no-deal Brexit to a vote on Wednesday. (The bill would do this by requiring the Prime Minister to ask the E.U. for an extension to the Brexit deadline—which is currently October 31st—if negotiations aren’t complete.) And, a moment after Tuesday’s vote tally was announced, Johnson rose to say that he will move to force a snap general election if he also loses the Wednesday vote. “I don’t want an election,” he said, even as he seemed to grasp at the prospect of effectively turning the complex debate on Brexit into a referendum on him.

Johnson’s announcement was accompanied by some confusion. Because of a 2011 law called the Fixed-Term Parliaments Act, a Prime Minister cannot simply order up an election whenever he or she likes. One way to get one is for the government to put forward an election bill, which Parliament must approve by a vote of two-thirds; this is the route that Johnson said he would take. But are the votes there? Corbyn has said that his Party wants a new election, but he has also said that he wants that to happen after the no-deal-blocking legislation has become law. It is not clear what would happen if the new-election bill comes first. Parliament may be headed for a game of legislative bumper cars.

Another way to get a new election is for the Prime Minister to lose a formal no-confidence vote and resign. And it’s not at all clear that, if the question were put to a test now, a majority of M.P.s would support Johnson’s leadership—which is the definition of confidence and the basis of a P.M.’s power. Earlier in the day on Tuesday, even as Johnson was speaking, a Tory M.P., Phillip Lee, walked away from the Conservative benches and sat down with the Liberal Democrats, indicating that he was switching parties. (“I wish my honorable friend all the best,” Johnson managed to say, before he was interrupted by the raucous reaction to Lee’s bench-switching.) Lee’s defection was enough, on paper, to deny Johnson a chance at a working majority in Parliament—which was already vanishingly slim and dependent on the votes of the Northern Irish Democratic Unionist Party. Lee, in a letter addressed to Johnson, which he posted on Twitter after his switch, said that Brexit had “sadly transformed this once great Party into something more akin to a narrow faction in which one’s Conservatism is measured by how recklessly one wants to leave the European Union.” Lee said that the Tories had “become infected by the twin diseases of English nationalism and populism.” One might add the self-satisfied dishonesty of Boris-ism to that diagnosis.

If Johnson does lose a confidence vote, there will be a lot of gamesmanship, because there are also questions about what would legally be required to happen next, particularly if no one else in Parliament—including Corbyn—has an obvious majority. And then there is the great uncertainty: If there is an election, who will win? (If the recent European Parliamentary elections are any indication, both major parties are vulnerable.) But Tuesday was the first real test for Johnson, and he failed it, despite, as Anna Soubry, who left the Conservative Party over Brexit a few months ago and is now the leader of the new Change U.K. Party, put it, having “bullied and blackmailed” as many M.P.s as he could into voting with him. “This is about our country,” Soubry told her colleagues. “It’s also about your own respect.”

That sense of respect has been sorely tried. Part of the reason for all the frenzied activity is that the Johnson government engineered a prorogation of Parliament, with the effect that, after this week, it will be suspended until October 14th, leaving little time for action ahead of the Brexit deadline. Various M.P.s and activists have already challenged the prorogation in court, and, in the course of the litigation, the government has released documents indicating that Johnson approved the idea in mid-August—around the same time that his government put out a statement saying that “the claim that the government is considering proroguing parliament in September in order to stop MPs debating Brexit is entirely false.” During the debate on Tuesday, Joanna Cherry, a Labour M.P., asked Jacob Rees-Mogg, the Tory Leader of the Commons and a voluble Brexiteer, if he agreed that the statement had “misled M.P.s and the public.”

Rees-Mogg did not agree. “The most obvious understanding of the ordinary use of the English language, which normally the honorable lady is pretty good at, makes it quite clear that the two statements”—that is, that the government was and was not planning a prorogation—“are entirely compatible.” That rationale had to do with Johnson’s argument that prorogation was not meant, as the statement had put it, “to stop M.P.s debating Brexit” but rather to give the government time to focus on its agenda—a lie folded into a lie. Rees-Mogg heightened the effect of what another M.P., Dominic Grieve, called his “rather cheap sarcasm” by sprawling on the benches at one point in the debate, as though he were at a Roman banquet. Rees-Mogg is, if nothing else, an apt partner for his Prime Minister. The logic is fuzzy; the contempt is clear. That’s the Johnson way.

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“Jen doesn’t want to be single for the rest of her life, so she is open to dating,” the source added. “She has been on dates, but it seems she isn’t serious about a guy. As always, she is mostly focused on her kids and her job.”

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You heard it here — she’s moving forward. 

The necklace designer’s own heritage plays further into how it was created, because according to the brand, the spiral shape represents “the beautiful spiral pattern found in Tā Moko,” an art form that involves marking skin permanently.

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Tā Moko tattoos traditionally represent different Maori tribes, and different patterns of them have distinct meanings. It’s yet another way that Markle has spun her style into a message about her host country.

Leave it to the Duchess of Sussex to teach the world about culture and tradition abroad just by plucking something from her jewelry box. 

We’re already set to welcome a new royal baby in 2019 (thank you, Meghan and Harry), but will we get yet another royal wedding too? If things continue to go well in Princess Beatrice’s dating life, it’s sure possible.

A new report from Daily Mail says that Eugenie’s older sis has fallen head over heels for a multi-millionaire divorcee named Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, and things are moving fast. The 30-year-old royal has apparently been dating the 34-year-old father-of-one for two months now, even bringing him home to introduce him to parents Sarah “Fergie” Ferguson and Prince Andrew.

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Mozzi is a property developer and the father of a 2-year-old son named Wolfie, and Mozzi’s whirlwind romance with the princess is causing friends to whisper about an engagement.

“Things are moving very quickly and it wouldn’t surprise anyone if they got engaged within a short period of time,” a friend told The Sun. “They could even be tying the knot in 2019 — it’s already been discussed by her friends. Everyone is thrilled that Bea is so happy and in such a good place right now.”

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Just when we thought the royals had spoiled us enough with weddings and babies, we hear this. Many thanks in advance, Beatrice.

Believe it or not, Working Girl is mere weeks away from its 30-year anniversary. Yes, everything you know and love about the film — the hair, the shoulder pads, the Melanie Griffith — were all products of the 1988 holiday season. Collect yourself, adjust your scrunchie, and return your attention to this article, because there’s more …

We, the late ‘80s-obsessed people, *nearly* bore witness to what certainly would have been one of the most iconic relationships of the decade.

In a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Griffith revealed that she had “such a crush” on her Working Girl co-star (and on-screen boyfriend) Alec Baldwin, but the then-up-and-coming actor refused her advances!

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“Alec Baldwin is handsome and charming, and I just had such a crush on him,” the Oscar-nominated actress gushed, “But he wouldn’t go there with me. I was like, ‘Oh come on, have a romance with me!’ But no, Alec said, ‘I can’t do this with people I work with.’ He’s a sweetheart.”

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CAN. YOU. IMAGINE.

Alec could’ve been Dakota Johnson’s father! (OK, I realize that’s not how that works, but humor me.)

To be fair, Alec’s excuse really doesn’t hold up. He met Kim Basinger on the set of The Marrying Man in 1990 and they got married and had a child, so …

Anyway, Melanie survived. Her Working Girl experience wasn’t completely devoid of flings — she prepped for the role by meeting with an investment banker named Liam Dalton (who used to date Iman, by the way), and they had an “incredible romance” which continued after their working relationship ended.

 

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Archer first began working for the royal family in 2007, serving as the Middleton’s personal assistant, however in 2014, The Mirror reports that she was given the top job as the Duchess’s style advisor.

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Since then the fashion mastermind has been responsible for all the royal’s most flawless looks – like the red Jenny Packham dress Middleton wore to welcome the arrival of Prince Louis on the steps of the Lindo Wing in April 2018.

We’re glad to hear that Asher’s absence will not be permanent, because let’s face it — we’re suckers for a Kate Middleton ball gown look. 

“So proud of my hunky hubby@liamhemsworth & his newest movie #IsntItRomantic,” the singer wrote on Instagram. “He unfortunately wasn’t able to attend due to health reasons… but he is recovering and taking this time to rest / heal. It’s hard for entertainers to put themselves before the project but this time it was crucial …. I am proud to represent him and his incredible work. So happy to see him shining in this comedy! He is the funniest person I know , and the world now gets to see the Liam I wake up to every day…. luckiest.”

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Cyrus managed to snag a carpet shot with an image of a saxophone-playing Hemsworth in the background, penning the cheeky caption, “Getting sick blows. But so do I. Get well soon babe. I love you. Play that sax you sexy fuck.”

Any other ailing movie stars looking for someone to attend a star-studded premiere or two in their place? Please reach out.

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Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas‘s wedding extravaganza isn’t over yet.

The newly married couple toasted their nuptials at a party in North Carolina on Sunday. Jonas, 26, and Chopra, 36, celebrated among friends and family in the town of Belmont, where the singer’s father, Kevin Jonas, Sr., grew up and the family owns a restaurant, Nellie’s Southern Kitchen.

The couple made their grand entrance into the venue holding hands, with Chopra beaming in a white strapless dress with appliqué detail and Jonas going casual in a green shirt and dark pants, social media posts reveal.

Chopra and Jonas’ signature “NP” logo design, which connects the sides of their first initials, was incorporated into cocktail napkins and a sign outside the party that read “Congratulations Nick and Priyanka.”

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As for the entertainment, Joe Jonas, 29, rocked out onstage, performing his band DNCE’s hit “Cake by the Ocean” as Chopra and Nick danced among the crowd of guests.

The celebration comes nearly two months after Jonas and Chopra officially became man and wife. On Dec. 1, the couple held a Western wedding at the Umaid Bhawan Palace in Jodhpur, and the next day, they wed again in an Indian ceremony at the palace.

Before the wedding, the duo held a colorful Mehendi ceremony, where they both had elaborate henna designs applied to their hands, and celebrated with a Sangeet, an over-the-top party with performances in honor of the couple.

RELATED VIDEO: Nick Jonas and Priyanka Chopra’s Love Story

After the two ceremonies, they celebrated with their first reception in Delhi, where Chopra wore a traditional long, embroidered skirt with a matching long-sleeved cropped blouse — draped with a dupatta shawl.

RELATED: Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas Celebrate Marriage with Second Wedding Reception in Mumbai

They later returned to Mumbai for a second reception thrown by Chopra’s mother, Madhu Chopra.

“I love that our wedding was a religious mash-up,” Chopra told PEOPLE exclusively. “We took beautiful traditions that we both grew up with and personalized them in a way that made sense for us. It’s been incredible to find the commonalities between our beliefs and figuring out how to blend them in a respectful and meaningful way.”

And they recently returned from a romantic honeymoon in the Caribbean, sharing plenty of snaps from the vacation on social media.

This article originally appeared on People. For more stories like this, visit people.com.

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2nd Sep 2019

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