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Showing posts from September, 2019

Proroguation of parliament raises many startling questions about Britain

The fall of tyranny in Athens in 510 BC, prompting the first recorded "democratic" political system, is regarded as a landmark moment in ancient history. Led by a prominent law-maker Cleisthenes and an orator Pericles, they guided Athens through its Golden Age, when the thriving city initially became a centre for literature and art. How the product of democracy has changed.  Boris Johnson's decision to prorogue parliament for five weeks in September and October, effectively curtailing any opposition plans to stop a no-deal Brexit occurring on  31st  October, caused widespread disbelief amongst Britain as the country gears up for a crunch few weeks before crashing out of the EU. The move raises more questions about what we call "democracy" and its operation in this country than it provides answers as to how Britain will leave the EU.  Suspending parliament, whilst rightfully legal, is a bold move from Johnson. Proroguing parliament to establish a new gover