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?