Back Labour’s ‘caretaker’ government after Johnson loses confidence vote – demand

Over-run: This graffito shows Jeremy Corbyn, having already run down David Cameron and Theresa May on his bike, in the act of doing the same to Boris Johnson.

Opposition parties will be challenged to put the good of the nation before their own ambitions if Labour wins a ‘no confidence’ vote against Boris Johnson’s government next month.

Political opponents of Mr Corbyn have suggested that a so-called ‘Government of National Unity’ could be formed if BoJob loses such a vote, but shadow chancellor John McDonnell has said Labour would not support it.

This means the plan should fail, as too few MPs would support it.

Instead, Mr McDonnell said Labour would demand the keys to 10 Downing Street from Mr Johnson and he would personally put Mr Corbyn in a cab to Buckingham Palace, to tell the Queen that Labour would take over.

And he issued a challenge to members of other Opposition parties:

The shadow chancellor said that if the Conservative leader failed to quit he would not “want to drag the Queen into this but [he] would be sending Jeremy Corbyn in a cab to Buckingham Palace to say ‘we’re taking over’”.

Ruling out any deals with the Liberal Democrats or the Scottish National party, McDonnell said the only guarantee to other opposition parties would be to block a no-deal Brexit and organise a fresh EU referendum.

“That means no coalitions or pacts, we just put it there [and] I think people of goodwill who are concerned about the interests of this country, about avoiding a no-deal Brexit, will vote for it,” he said.

The challenge will be particularly strong for the Liberal Democrats, whose new leader Jo Swinson has ruled out co-operating with Labour, claiming that Mr Corbyn is “unfit” to be prime minister.

But her party has framed itself as the champion of voters who wish to remain in the European Union and failure to support Mr Corbyn in a confidence vote would indicate support for a “no-deal” Brexit instead.

Of course there is also the question of whether the Queen would dismiss Mr Johnson if he refused to resign as prime minister voluntarily.

It is within her power but opinion is divided as to whether she would, with some saying it would only happen if the House of Commons indicated clearly who was to be prime minister in his place.

And this creates a challenge for all Opposition parties, and for potential Conservative rebels as well – as they are unlikely to want a man they have consistently described as a “hard-left Marxist” taking office.

But Mr McDonnell said Labour would form only a caretaker government while a “no-deal” Brexit is averted and a general election arranged.

Will this be enough to persuade MPs to back a “no confidence” vote in Boris Johnson? We’ll see. The clock is ticking.

Source: Corbyn should tell Queen ‘we’re taking over’ if Johnson loses confidence vote, says McDonnell | Politics | The Guardian

Have YOU donated to my crowdfunding appeal, raising funds to fight false libel claims by TV celebrities who should know better? These court cases cost a lot of money so every penny will help ensure that wealth doesn’t beat justice.

https://www.crowdjustice.com/case/mike-sivier-libel-fight/


Vox Political needs your help!
If you want to support this site
(
but don’t want to give your money to advertisers)
you can make a one-off donation here:

Donate Button with Credit Cards

Here are four ways to be sure you’re among the first to know what’s going on.

1) Register with us by clicking on ‘Subscribe’ (in the left margin). You can then receive notifications of every new article that is posted here.

2) Follow VP on Twitter @VoxPolitical

3) Like the Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/VoxPolitical/

Join the Vox Political Facebook page.

4) You could even make Vox Political your homepage at http://voxpoliticalonline.com

And do share with your family and friends – so they don’t miss out!

If you have appreciated this article, don’t forget to share it using the buttons at the bottom of this page. Politics is about everybody – so let’s try to get everybody involved!

Buy Vox Political books so we can continue
fighting for the facts.


The Livingstone Presumption is now available
in either print or eBook format here:

HWG PrintHWG eBook

Health Warning: Government! is now available
in either print or eBook format here:

HWG PrintHWG eBook

The first collection, Strong Words and Hard Times,
is still available in either print or eBook format here:

SWAHTprint SWAHTeBook

9 thoughts on “Back Labour’s ‘caretaker’ government after Johnson loses confidence vote – demand

  1. Gary Bowman

    The problem will be those on the right of the party that tell us they are “Labour” MP’s while the facts point to the opposite. The Cooper, Hodge, Streeting, Mann and all those standing as “independent Labour” will fight tooth and nail to prevent a socialist from leading a socialist party into No10.. Letting down everybody that desperately needs a change of Government, the disabled , those in poverty, hungry children, pensioners and the just about managing (struggling).

  2. Growing Flame

    I think it might be useful for Labour to , at least, float a few policy ideas that would have a broad appeal for other opposition Parties. Obviously, a further Referendum or General Election for starters. But ,maybe, a vigorous housing programme with large numbers of council houses might appeal to the SNP and even Lib Dem members. If they did not respond positively, then the voters would know who would act for the Many, not the Few. And who wouldn’t!! But it would indicate Labour’s seriousness about taking power with the policies the country needs. Just refusing formal co-alitions can sound a bit negative so we need to show we have faith in our excellent policies and want to share them!
    (TBH, the whole idea of openly planning for a Labour government must cause such distress to Tories that it would be worth floating lots of Labour ideas , as if the Lib Dems might go for them, just to watch Tory faces as they imagine the future!)

    1. Mike Sivier Post author

      Labour’s policy platform is supported by the majority of the UK’s electorate. A new referendum and GE are part of it already. Current Labour housing policy would see a million new homes built during the course of its first Parliament, with a quarter of a million per year afterwards – to include 100,000 affordable homes per year and the biggest council house programme in 30 years.

  3. Gary

    This would have a LOT more weight if it had the backing of the third largest party ie SNP. There need not be a formal ‘pact’ of any kind but at least an agreement in principle after talking to them. The SNP has often expressed a willingness to help “Lock the Tories out of No10” but has just as often been rebuffed by Labour.

    I can understand why, the successful (unexpectedly so) campaign run by Cameron showing Milliband in Salmond’s pocket and the Daily Mail article quoting the ‘Rivers of Blood’ speech but with the Scots as the target show that voters outside of Scotland could be scared away from Labour by the thought of Scottish influence in government. NB it is not only the fear of SNP but also the fear of Scots themselves that helped Cameron succeed.

    If the vote of no confidence succeeds then it looks likely there will be another GE. I can see that being fraught for all concerned and I wouldn’t like to bet on the outcome. Under other circumstances it might be more straightforward but until Brexit is resolved the usual rules don’t apply – Johnson COULD get an actual majority or we could see the vote even more fragmented by the Brexit Party.

    A GE could see a worse outcome than we already have!

    1. Mike Sivier Post author

      There has always been that possibility in any election. Labour has good reason not to trust the SNP in any way – this is the party that launched the ‘no confidence’ vote that ended up bringing Margaret Thatcher to power in 1979, don’t forget; and it has a large number of MPs in Scotland due to negative campaigning against Scottish Labour (although Labour’s behaviour north of the border may have had much to do with the success of those campaigns).

Comments are closed.