What happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object? Buckle up, because that paradox is set to be tested in autumn when Boris Johnson, the Tory crown prince, goes head-to-head with parliament.
The stage looks set for an epic showdown come October if Mr Johnson cannot renegotiate a deal with Brussels over the summer and decides to pursue a no-deal Brexit.
MPs on all sides of the political divide have consistently voiced their opposition to such a path, and yesterday they laid their first technical trap to stop it.
It came in the form of an amendment to the Northern Ireland (Executive) Bill, which forces the government to report to the commons every two weeks on the progress of power-sharing talks in the region.
The motivation for this is precisely nought to do with wanting an executive back in Stormont and wholly to do with making the suspension of parliament, something mooted by team Johnson as a means to ensure Brexit is delivered on Halloween, nigh on impossible.
It is important to point out that while the amendment makes prorogation difficult, it does not prevent a no-deal outright.
The wording of the amendments mean that while MPs now cannot be turfed out of the commons over the Brexit period, without a legally binding amendment or a bill specifically demanding the government stop a no-deal it remains the default position on October 31.
But this technical move is the first of many that will come to characterise a parliamentary dogfight after the summer recess to frustrate Mr Johnson’s promise of Brexit “come what may”.
