The Boris coup: day 2

It’s day 2 of the Boris coup.

Boris Johnson now rules without parliamentary limits or even oversight on his power. And why? Because the British constitution, unwritten and dependent on politicians following convention, allows him too. A lesson for us all, if and when BoJo’s autocracy ends, that we have to stop regarding the unwritten constitution as a charming tradition, but at as a constant threat to democracy which we have to replace with something enforceable in law.

So where do we stand on day 2?

“Parliament will consider this” petition against its prorogation 
While it’s prorogued?  

As of this morning, the petition against the proroguing of parliament has passed the 1.2 million signature mark, one of them my own. I signed because it seemed important, though I signed with little hope of its doing any good. After all, if BoJo can ignore the elected representatives of the people, why should he pay any attention to the people themselves?

Besides, the petition is to parliament. I’m not wholly clear how parliament can react to it while it’s prorogued. Aren’t we asking parliament to reverse a prorogation which it can’t until that prorogation ends?

In any case, BoJo won’t give a damn about the opposition he’s getting. He has plenty of support. Naturally, the right-wing press, the Telegraph, the Sun and the Mail prominent among them. Interestingly, they back the prorogation as a way to ensure that the will of the people is respected. In other words, that the Brexit referendum decision is carried out, even though no one voted for a hard Brexit and very few voters back one.

The usual suspects support BoJo's assault on parliamentary democracy
In the name of respecting a democratic decision, of course

But isn’t the right wing’s position gloriously ironic? They see the proroguing of parliament as a necessary step to enforce a democratic decision.

We suspend the central institution of our democracy in order to protect democratic rule? Only an autocrat and his supporters could come up with a paradox that bizarre.

Or that ugly.