Brexit: Boris Johnson has gambled

United Kingdom and Gibraltar European Union membership referendum

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In defeat, some people become quiet and humble, but Boris Johnson is not known to be such a person. In London, it's Tuesday night just after 10 pm, Britain's House of Commons has just dealt a severe blow to the prime minister. Then he jumped up, stepped to the table in the middle of the room, his face flushed, his head bowed like an attacking bull.

"I do not want new elections, the public does not want new elections," he calls out. This is the cue, in the raising hoot his words are almost lost. Johnson goes on to say that "if Parliament were to wrest control of Brexit from him on Wednesday, then that is the only way to resolve this issue." He sticks out his forefinger, poisoning opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn, pounding his fist on the table.

Johnson's threat to parliamentarians is the culmination of a dramatic day in the House of Commons even for the polarized United Kingdom (read a minutes minutes of events here). He has lost his parliamentary majority that day, 21 members of his Tory faction have defected to a "rebel alliance", which Boris Johnson wants to ban a no-deal Brexit on 31 October by law.

Did the prime minister gamble too much last week when he announced that he would put the parliament on a forced break and take it out by mid-October? Anyway, the dramatic events in the parliament last night show that this Parliament can not be switched off so easily.

"The embodiment of arrogance, conceit and disrespect"

Shortly before midnight, a picture emerges showing Boris Johnson's predecessor leaving the parliament: Theresa May, sitting in the back of a car, she is laughing at this moment, she is beaming and looks relaxed - that's how lucky she is in her whole life Term not seen. It would not be surprising if she felt satisfied at the moment that Boris Johnson, the man who overthrew her, now stumbles across the same hurdle as she: the British House of Commons.

Henry Nicholls / REUTERS

The man who overthrew her stumbles herself: Theresa May, amused

What happened on the evening that Parliament met for the first time since the summer break? It was a dramatic session in which Parliament at least temporarily regained its power as a democratic pillar - just at a moment when Premier Johnson wanted to silence the parliamentarians.

The opposition and rebellious MPs from the ruling Tory party persuaded lower house spokesman John Bercow to allow a so-called emergency dispute - which was agreed within 30 seconds. And then a clear majority of the panel, in which the government still had a majority at the beginning of the day, decided by a simple majority to change the agenda for Wednesday. Today, finally, they could pass a law that binds Johnson's hands at Brexit and prevents him from unregulated exit.

In the video: The moment in which Boris Johnson loses his majority

Video

Parliament TV

Yesterday was full of remarkable scenes that recalled what a living institution Parliament is: during the regular afternoon session and while Boris Johnson giving a speech, the Tory converted Phillip Lee over to the Liberal Democrat banks and picked up in the middle of it. In a statement published on Twitter, he wrote that after 27 years he gave up his membership in the conservative party - where he was no longer able to represent the interests of his constituents and the country. As the emergency debate begins, Johnson has already lost his governing majority: it was only one vote.

After a great deal of thought, I have come to the conclusion that it is no longer possible to serve my constituents' and country's best interests as a Conservative Member of Parliament. My letter to the Prime Minister: pic.twitter.com/0QreSbSdwR

In front of the Westminster Palace Brexit opponents wave blue EU flags at this time, a small brass band plays the European anthem "Ode to the Freue". Again and again the demonstrators call "Stop the coup". Harsh allegations also fall in parliament: Tories accuse opposition and rebels of blocking the will of the people. In turn, they accuse Johnson of undermining democracy.

Some of Johnson's allies seem to be doing their best to back up these allegations this evening: House Chairman-of-the-House Jacob Rees-Mogg, a Brexit hardliner and Empire nostalgic promoted under Johnson, limps demonstratively in the opening seat , stretched out his legs over several places bored, as if he wanted to take a nap. It seems like a contempt for Parliament and the historic debate that evening - Boris Johnson had once vowed to re-strengthen parliament.

Rees-Mogg's "Manspreading" in Parliament appeared to many of his political opponents not just as demonstrative disregard for the elected parliamentarians, but as an illustration of the claim to power of that white upper-class elite belonging to Rees-Mogg. Labor MP Anna Turley scoffed at his action and posted the photo on the net. "The embodiment of arrogance, conceit, disrespect and contempt of our parliament", so her comment. The post was inflicted ten thousand times within a few hours and commented, the photo became a meme.

pic.twitter.com/uRoLwalAho

When spokesman Bercow announced the outcome of the vote late on Tuesday evening, 21 Conservative MPs denied Johnson their allegiance. Johnson now wants to exclude these rebels from the faction, in future elections, they may no longer compete for the Tories.

It's not just some Tories who rebelled that night, but heavyweights like former Secretary of Defense, Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs and Finance Philip Hammond, a total of ten former ministers, veteran parliamentarians, including Nicholas Soames, the grandson of Winston Churchill, Boris Johnson again as his role model calls. They all received a phone call during the night telling them that they had lost their faction affiliation.

But some seemed more encouraged: The rebel Kenneth Clarke told the BBC he did not recognize his Conservative Party again that it was a "relabelled Brexit party" and criticized the "bizarre crowbar philosophy" of Boris Johnson.

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British House of Commons against Boris JohnsonRebellion and Revenge

Even the prime minister would not have expected such a clear defeat: 328 parliamentarians voted for the alternative agenda, 301 against. This clears the way for today to put the law on the right track, which should make Johnson unable to make a self-imposed no-deal. Quite possibly, that a majority is also achieved for it: For what reason would have the 21 rebels, just become politically homeless, at the next vote but again to support Johnson? Nevertheless, the prime minister can still win in the end: In the tight time until Monday, when the parliament is expected to be suspended, the law must pass even the House of Lords - and conservative Lords could try to stop it with various tricks.

Boris Johnson is aiming for new elections after his defeat yesterday - and perhaps in reality all along - he would probably win. And many of the Tory rebels may no longer belong to a future parliament. But for new elections Johnson needs a two-thirds majority. And Labor Opposition Leader Corbyn made it clear on Tuesday that he is not available until the law is passed.

The British Parliament showed yesterday evening that it is more rebellious, more powerful, more agile than Prime Minister Boris Johnson has imagined - and it is unwilling to hand over power to a strong-willed head of state without a fight.