The Conservative Party Becomes A Victim of Brexit

"No Jacob, the instructions were to lie TO parliament."

It's the morning after the night before.  So in the last 24 hours Johnson has become the first prime minister to lose his first vote in parliament in a hundred years.  He has become the first British prime minister to deprive himself of a majority by expelling people from his own party.  He's now pushing for an early election. 


While this is all going on he is being fingered in court for lying to parliament, calling into question whether he has the right to suspend parliament from sitting.  On top of his local problems the EU are now openly calling him a liar and less openly concluding that he is a lame duck leader who is not worth the time talking to.

Although the shortcomings of Mr Johnson have certainly played a part in all this, the real reason is of course Brexit.  This is turning into a combination of the Gordion knot and the Medusa.  It can't be untied and it destroys anyone who comes close to it.  It no longer commands the support of the majority but there are still a lot of people highly motivated to leave the union.  But there are huge numbers of people who really really want to stay. 

The answer to all this isn't obvious to me, and there may not be an answer in the short run.  But like the Civil War it will be solved.  Things will calm down and the country will get back to normal.  But there is a good chance that the Conservative Party won't.