UK politicians bicker while quiet flows the Thames

Editor's Note: Opposition and 21 rebel Conservative members voted 328 to 301 on Tuesday to take control of the British Parliament and force Prime Minister Boris Johnson to ask the European Union to extend the Brexit deadline from Oct 31. 21st Century Business Herald comments:

Tuesday's vote means Johnson has been stripped of the power to push for a no-deal Brexit. Johnson and his opponents are at loggerheads over a no-deal Brexit, with the opposition saying a no-deal Brexit is a huge economic risk for Britain and should be avoided at all costs, while Johnson insists that a no-deal option could be used to "blackmail" the European Union into softening the Brexit terms.

Johnson's logic seems flawed, because a no-deal Brexit could deal a debilitating blow to the British economy, while the damage to the EU would be limited. Also, the EU expects the post-Brexit woes Britain is likely to suffer to serve as a deterrent to other member states that want to leave the union. So where is the question of the EU granting concessions to Britain?

The EU has made it clear that it is prepared for a no-deal Brexit, emphasizing that it does not fear Johnson's "blackmail" tactics.

Realizing that not all Conservative members support him, Johnson moved a motion in Parliament on Wednesday to call an early election but didn't get the two-thirds majority required to trigger a general election.

Johnson, with his hard-line intransigence, is taking a big gamble in trying to get what he wants, as he could become Britain's shortest-serving prime minister.

The UK's political situation is fluid and tumultuous, unlike the Thames, and it would be a mistake to make a guess about the future. But one thing is certain, British politics has been overshadowed by Brexit.