Lloyd Russell-Moyle: General strike is the only way to stop Boris Johnsons coup

The Queen will be asked by the government to suspend Parliament days after MPs return from recess – just weeks before the Brexit deadline.

Make no mistake about it: what we’ve witnessed today is nothing short of the start of an anti-democratic coup worthy of a tin-pot dictator.

The Government, spurred on by Nigel Farage’s Brexit Party snapping at its heels, have called on the Queen to help them force through a damaging No Deal Brexit.

This is dangerous move which could kill the existing relationship between the monarchy and Parliament, requiring the Queen to stay away from political decision-making.

That tradition has been upheld for hundreds of years – and Boris Johnson has torn it up in the space of a month in pursuit of his political ambitions.

But this coup will have other long-term consequences for Brits up and down the country.

At the last election the majority of parties pledged they would not allow No Deal and, in the referendum, even the leavers said that No deal was a bad idea.

By forcing through a No Deal Brexit, the government will have ignored widespread warnings about food and medicine shortages, NHS ward closures and security risks. It will cost the public billions and usher in a new era of austerity.

Because of these dangers and strong evidence that the public does not want a No Deal Brexit, MPs have explicitly voted against a No Deal Brexit on no fewer than three occasions.

The Government’s move to try to suspend Parliament is an attempt to force through No Deal anyway – against Parliament and the people’s will.

I therefore call on Parliament and the people to resist this deeply anti-democratic move, using any peaceful means available to them.

Last year I picked up Parliament’s ceremonial mace in protest at the last Prime Minister’s decision to call off a crucial Brexit vote.

Today, my shadow cabinet colleagues have pledged to occupy Parliament to resist the greatest abuse of executive power in living memory.

I chaired the Socialist Campaign Group rally at Labour Conference where Laura Smith MP called for a general strike to stop the Government in its tracks.

Whilst it might have looked rash for some then, now it looks more and more like the only way forward to stop our country falling into the hands of the undemocratic right.

If the Government tries to drive No Deal through by stopping Parliament from sitting, we cannot just rely on the courts and parliamentary process. We need a mass movement of resistance, with marches, civil disobedience and protests in every village, town and city of this country.

If the Government plans to ignore the will of Parliament and the people, then that is a coup. The resistance starts now.

This article was originally published in The Mirror on the 28th August 2019