The new British prime minister, Boris Johnson had his first election defeat in a by-election, bringing his parliamentary majority back to a single vote.
New British Prime Minister Boris Johnson suffered his first setback at the polls, a party defeat in a by-election that reduced his weak parliamentary majority to just one vote, complicating his Brexit strategy.
The ruling Conservative Party, led by Boris Johnson last week, lost the seat of the Brecon and Radnorshire constituency in West Wales to a pro-European candidate, according to the results. officially announced on Friday.
This defeat undermines the new government which has just announced the doubling of its annual budget devoted to the preparations for a Brexit without an agreement, allocating them 2.1 billion additional pounds (2.3 billion euros).
The money will be used to “speed up preparations at the border, support business preparations and supply essential medicines” and launch a new Brexit communication campaign, the Ministry of Finance said.
A total of £ 6.3 billion (€ 6.9 billion) has been allocated to prepare Brexit, including € 4.2 billion this year.
Declining growth forecasts
“Since I arrived at the Treasury, I put the turbo for our preparations (…) for a Brexit without an agreement, not because we want it, but we must be prepared because we will leave on October 31st,” said Thursday the new Minister of Finance Sajid Javid.
If Boris Johnson wants to renegotiate the withdrawal agreement between former Prime Minister Theresa May and Brussels-what the EU excludes he said that in case of failure, he would not ask for a further postponement of Brexit and that the UK would leave the EU, agreement or not, on October 31st.
“The likelihood of a No Deal Brexit has increased for market participants,” noted the Bank of England, which slashed Thursday the growth forecast for the country. They rise to 1.3% in 2019 and 2020, compared to 1.5% and 1.6% respectively in May.
“This government could have brushed aside a no deal and spent those billions on our schools, our hospitals and our citizens” said John Mcdonnell, finance minister of the shadow cabinet of the Labor opposition,no waste “.
The opposition is not only in the ranks of Labour. Heavyweight Philip Hammond, finance minister of the previous Conservative government, has already warned he will do everything to block a “no deal Brexit”.
The election of Brecon was won by Liberal Democratic candidate Jane Dodds who warned against a plan of Brexit ” without agreement” that would hit Welsh farmers economically.
Find Johnson “wherever he hides”
“My very first action as a Member of Parliament when I arrive in Westminster will be to find Boris Johnson wherever he is hiding and say loudly: stop playing with the future of our communities and spread a Brexit without agreement” said Jane Dodds after her victory.
Thursday’s by-election follows the dismissal of Conservative MP Chris Davies, triggered by voters as allowed in a proceeding introduced in 2015 by former Conservative Prime Minister David Cameron. Voters had punished Chris Davies following his conviction for false claims.
Believing he made a mistake, Chris Davies showed up again. He was finally beaten by his rival Jane Dodd by 13,826 votes against 12,401. The Brexit Party candidate won 3,331 votes, while the Labor Party came in fourth with 1,680 votes.
The Brecon and Radnorshire constituency voted 52% in favour of a divorce from the European Union in the Brexit referendum in 2016, of which Boris Johnson is one of the great architects.
