Name: Brexit: is a snap election part of Boris Johnson's strategy? | FT
Uploaded: 2020-03-07T16:34:45.000Z
Duration: 5 min 40 s
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Boris Johnson says he doesn't want a general election,

and he does want a deal with the European Union on Brexit.

Here with me to discuss this is Sebastian Payne,

to be seen to be having a general election

although, in fact, he knows it's quite inevitable.

Ever since he went into Downing Street just a month ago

he had a working majority of one to three.

there's no way that you can really do anything.

And there's so many splits within the Conservative party,

from BrexiterS, who actively want no deal, to Remainers

on the other side, who really want something

like Theresa May's deal, or potentially, an even softer

So although Mr Johnson came out this week

to leaving the European Union by October 31st.

Is there any possibility of a general election

Or is the likelihood that it will come afterwards?

Well, this is what senior people in the government

are saying, that if parliament votes to take control

under Theresa May, when they forced her to delay departure

we're going to force you to go back to the EU

Senior people in the government say if that happens,

to dissolve parliament and have an election on October

So in theory that would happen all before the next EU Council

But there are people who don't trust Mr Johnson,

because he could say that to parliament...

There may be some record that people don't entirely

But Mr Johnson has to hop on a plane up to Balmoral

and ask the Queen to dissolve parliament.

till after Brexit and people around the prime minister

would be the days after Brexit, early November.

But the fact is, he's insisting, and senior people

in the government are saying it would be October the 14th.

And that election would be a rerun of the referendum.

Now let's come to a benign scenario, whereby Mr Johnson,

out of a magic hat, reaches a deal with the European Union

Then he would be in a very strong position, wouldn't he?

Well then he'd have to run at breakneck speed

to get that deal through parliament, because he's

Even if there's a deal he will not countenance a delay.

So if, somehow, the Irish border backstop disappears

parliament would have to sit morning, noon,

and night, weekend, to get that deal through in time.

I mean, if he gets a deal at the European summit which actually

assure an agreement between the European Union, he can say,

will be Theresa May's deal, with some tweaks.

It'll smell, sound, and feel like the deal that was voted

But what Mr Johnson wants is some tweaks here and there,

to make it sound and look like a new deal.

But a lot of people in parliament, and particularly

the Conservative party, won't be convinced.

Now, I'm going to put you on the spot here, Sebastian.

A general election, what chances are there of Boris Johnson

If you look at the opinion polls and election experts

they essentially say that we get a result not too dissimilar

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Brexit: is a snap election part of Boris Johnson's strategy? | FT

scenario

inevitable

majority

alternative