Boris Johnson's Brexit plans have been severely damaged after members of his own Conservative Party rebelled against him. In a dramatic turn of events, MP Phillip Lee defected to the Liberal Democrats, leaving the government without a working majority. This move has made it much harder for Johnson to push through his preferred form of Brexit.
Lee's defection was sparked by a radio discussion between a doctor and Jacob Rees-Mogg, a prominent Brexiteer. The doctor expressed concerns about medicine shortages in the event of a no-deal Brexit, which Rees-Mogg dismissed as "deeply irresponsible". Lee was so incensed by Rees-Mogg's response that he decided to defect from the Conservative Party.
The Conservative Party is deeply divided over Brexit, with some members supporting a no-deal exit and others opposing it. The party's civil war has been ongoing since the 2016 referendum, and it has led to a series of dramatic events in recent days.
Last week, Johnson suspended Parliament for five weeks in an attempt to reduce the amount of time MPs had to block a no-deal scenario. However, this move backfired, and on Tuesday night, Johnson expelled 21 MPs from the Conservative Party who had refused to support a no-deal Brexit. This included former Chancellor of the Exchequer Phillip Hammond and Nicholas Soames, the grandson of Winston Churchill.
However, the rebels struck back on Wednesday, inflicting a humiliating defeat on the government. A cross-party group of lawmakers voted to take control of the Parliamentary agenda, which will allow them to move forward with a plan to prevent a no-deal Brexit. A second reading of the bill passed by 329 votes to 300.
Johnson has responded by saying that he will call an early general election, but this is not a guarantee. The Labour Party is also divided over Brexit, and there is a risk that an election could see Johnson re-elected and a no-deal Brexit pushed through.
The situation is highly unpredictable, and it is unclear what will happen next. However, one thing is certain: the Houses of Parliament will continue to see unprecedented levels of drama over the next two weeks.
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