Letters special - Johnson’s move to prorogue Parliament: a masterstroke or an assault on democracy?

It is surely germane to point out that Mr Johnson has been sacked from virtually every post he has held for lying.

Secondly, the monarchy has been shown to be completely toothless and of no value in protecting the population from a power-grab. The fallacy of the Queen acting as a force of moderation has been exposed as so much propaganda on behalf of the establishment which we so lavishly fund with our taxes. How much more effective would be a head of state, appointed for a fixed term and with no political affiliation?

We have also found out that Brexit supporters, whether fired by racism or not, are perfectly willing not to “take back control” but rather to cede all rights to a coterie of right-wing extremists who appear to live in dreams of empire.

If the suspension of Parliament had taken place in any African or Asian country, these same Brexiteers would have been shouting from the rooftops that is was a clear demonstration of how inferior their democracy was to Westminster.

We now know it is nothing to do with the “will of the people” and all about control of the masses. It is no surprise that this right-wing government refuses the Scottish people the right to chose their own destiny. Truly, democracy has died, and this confirms Benito Mussolini, who said “Democracy is beautiful in theory, in practice it is a fallacy.”

David Stubley, Prestwick

BORIS Johnson has produced a masterstroke in seeking a prorogation of Parliament. This is a perfectly reasonable act in preparation for a new Queen’s Speech.

All the devious plotting by those set on sidestepping the true voice of democracy - the 2016 Brexit referendum result - has been negated by a politician actually carrying out the wishes of the people, not the odd favourable poll.

The SNP, in particular, who are pushing for an unwanted second independence referendum by any means possible, slightly possible or downright unsatisfactory, can have no quibbles with a leader who is doing exactly what the population asked for.

Whether you are for or against Brexit, the current plotting of the “Remainers “ was reaching the heights of absurdity. A dose of reality is exactly what is needed. All howls of “ anguish” are simply from bad losers. Democracy is the winner.

Dr Gerald Edwards, Glasgow G77

IT would appear that in the mother of all parliaments, debate and democracy are no longer at the centre of everything a parliament does.

Tory MP Peter Bone insists that it is all about domestic and legislative agendas, so why does proroguing not happen more often?

This is nothing more than a deliberate attempt to undermine democracy: it shows complete and utter contempt for anyone who opposes the government.

One must ask, if they can silence any opposition by this method, what can they do to the devolved parliaments?

Robert McCaw, Renfrew

WHEN I heard that Boris Johnson was closing down the Westminster Parliament in case they voted against his no-deal Brexit I was outraged.

Westminster claims to be the mother of parliaments and a symbol of democracy around the world. This was always a flimsy claim given that MPs are, unlike most representatives in countries elsewhere in Europe and the world, are elected in the very undemocratic first-past-the-post system. What is clear now is that Parliament cannot even control its own affairs with the government suspending it at will.

In Scotland, by contrast, our MSPs are elected by a much more democratic proportional system and parliamentary business is controlled by Parliament, not the government. I recall that this Parliament also has a mandate for a second referendum on independence if the circumstances change. Leaving the EU was itself a big enough change to require a second referendum but this latest democratic outrage by Johnson is, as Nicola Sturgeon says, “ the end of democracy as we know it.”

It surely means that Scotland must have a second referendum as soon as possible. If Johnson refuses to grant it then we should declare we will hold it anyway. The polls indicate that the majority for independence is growing after this outrage. I have no doubt Scotland will choose freedom from being governed by jumped-up, would-be dictators in London and will vote for independence.

Hugh Kerr ( MEP 1994-99), Edinburgh

WHAT if Jeremy Corbyn bypassed Parliament the way the Johnson cabinet has done? Would the response be so sanguine? They would be calling it a coup soon enough. Claiming it is “routine” is an insult to our intelligence. The cabinet is “frit” of Parliament and “frit” to say so.

Barry Tighe, Woodford Green, London

THE meaning of Brexit: returning democratic sovereignty to the House of Commons from the EU. The main advocate of this notion: Boris Johnson, a Prime Minister with no electoral or parliamentary mandate to occupy that office, yet he is holding the country to ransom and silencing democracy by his actions.

Asking the Queen to suspend Parliament, which will remove any semblance of democratic sovereignty from it, will surely come back to haunt Johnson and his cabinet. It is nothing short of a cabinet coup of the mother of parliaments. This coup is all about Johnson’s endeavours to remove any obstacle or challenge on his road to delivering a no-deal Brexit. Outrageous as it is, no-one should be under any illusion: democracy passed by yesterday, as the country enters a new chapter in right-wing politics.

Catriona C Clark, Banknock, Falkirk

DOES Boris Johnson and his Government understand the circumstances and conditions under which the majority of the British people live? Do they have any knowledge of the countries within the UK with devolved administrations? Do they realise that their reasoning behind suspending Parliament for four weeks is a sham? Do they always tell the truth? Do they actually care? My answer to all of the above is ‘No’. I should ask them, I’m keen to know.

Willie Towers, Alford, Aberdeenshire

TOGETHER with the majority of the UK I voted to leave Europe. I am delighted to see our Prime Minister using the prorogation process to give him a upper hand in the negotiations with Europe, and that leaving without a deal is now a serious option. If Europe do not come to the table to negotiate a better deal then they now know the alternative which will see the UK leave without paying a king’s ransom.

Dennis Forbes Grattan, Aberdeen

SO Nicola Sturgeon claims it’ll be a ‘dark day’ for democracy if Boris Johnson suspends parliament. It’s only for a few days, tacked onto the party conference season, but his primary intention is clear so she is right, up to a point. But let’s look at her own track record.

Democracy is undoubtedly a subject on which she is well-equipped to comment. She and her party have refused to accept the democratic will of the people as expressed in the independence referendum since the day we voted in September 2014. Ms Sturgeon and her former close friend, Alex Salmond, repeatedly promised us it was a once-in-a-generation or even a lifetime vote. How naive were we to believe them?

The SNP has been relentlessly campaigning to hold another vote. They don’t principally use Holyrood to govern Scotland; they have usurped its purpose so that it is now merely a soapbox from which they dispense anti-UK rhetoric.and campaign to overthrow the 2014 democratic vote.

In 2014, 84.6% of us voted. From a democratic perspective it doesn’t matter who won or lost; the result must be respected. The nationalist leader is now even claiming that she fears Holyrood will be shut down. The reality, of course, is that the short suspension of Westminster is, for Ms Sturgeon, merely another weapon to be used in her undemocratic campaign to disregard our wishes so very clearly expressed five years ago.

Martin Redfern, Edinburgh

THANKFULLY, Brexit values are not those of our national church (‘Kirk chief hits out at “PM’s seemingly cynical move”’, The Herald, August 29). Having rightly suggested that Johnson’s prorogation “undermines parliamentary democracy”, Rev Dr Richard Frazer of the Church and Society Council points out that “leaving the EU without a deal would have a damaging, long-term impact on the poorest and most vulnerable people in our communities.”

I am pleased to see that my church is finding Christ’s voice in these critical times to speak out on behalf of those at the margins of society when few others are making the point on their behalf.

John Milne, Uddingston

I WISH Ruth Davidson and her family well, but in her resignation speech as leader of the Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party, it was not so much what she said that struck me, but what she failed to say.

While many in the media have gushed over her achievements in office, it has been clear for some time that the wheels have been coming off the Davidson bandwagon.

She must have realised that the writing was on the wall when her party sank to fourth place at the EU elections in May, after a campaign aimed almost exclusively at attacking Nicola Sturgeon.

Personal matters may have played their part in Ms Davidson’s decision to throw in the towel, but nobody could possibly buy that as the main reason for her to “consider her position” on the very day Boris Johnson recklessly announced that he was to suspend Parliament.

Before and since he became leader, Ms Davidson has made it clear that she was unhappy with Mr Johnson and his no-deal rhetoric, and she was clearly furious when he showed his contempt for her wishes and opinions, and sacked David Mundell as Scottish Secretary.

I would have had more respect for Ms Davidson if she had stayed in her post, at least in the short term, stood up to Mr Johnson, led her party in a different direction, and with the hard Brexit cliff looming ever closer, made Scotland’s interests her prime concern.

Ruth Marr, Stirling.

IT is rich of all those who have done everything they can to impede our desire to leave the EU to describe Mr Johnson’s move as a “coup”. At last, we have a leader who means business!

Steven Taylor, Glasgow