Editor's note: Thom Brooks is dean of Durham Law School and professor of Law and Government, Durham University. The article reflects the author's opinions and not necessarily the views of CGTN.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson promised "do or die" that the UK would leave the European Union on October 31. His alleged threat to leave with or without an agreed withdrawal deal enthused his Tory MPs, who thought only No Deal would get the EU to offer more favorable exit terms. But this also proved a lethal call to arms uniting his otherwise very divided opponents who agreed seemingly only on preventing No Deal from happening.

It was always obvious that Johnson was going to fail and his repeated promises would be broken. No prime minister has ever lost as many votes in Parliament in such a short period, and he leads a zombie government unable to pass any laws, let alone its desired Brexit outcome. More than any predecessor in a generation, Johnson is in office but clearly not in power.

Yet many commentators assumed there was some hidden secret plan to make Brexit happen despite the hurdles. Some pointed to his chief adviser, Dominic Cummings, as someone who would have a cunning plan to make the impossible possible.

While the two – Johnson and Cummings – did have plans, they were only amateur attempts to twist, if not break, the law to get their way that was always doomed to fail. In the end, there was no big idea or grand design – only roguish incompetence that comes from political operatives who don't pay attention to detail or read the fine print.

One such idea was to prorogue or suspend Parliament for five weeks claiming this was to ensure sufficient time to draw up a new Queen's Speech and open a new session of Parliament. This was found unlawful by a landslide 11-0 on the UK Supreme Court finding the prime minister had actually unlawfully advised Her Majesty the Queen to suspend the UK's main democratic body. A few days later, a new Queen's Speech was finished proving beyond doubt that the five weeks was unnecessary for that and aimed instead at trying to force through a possible No Deal.

The opposition's only unity in rejecting No Deal led to passage of the Benn Act that required Johnson to make a formal request to the EU to extend the Brexit deadline, which the EU has now done. The UK will not be leaving the EU until at least late January 2020, if ever.

Most eyes are now focused on whether there might be a general election or second referendum next. I suspect a general election because all parties from the Tories, Labour, Liberal Democrats and SNP, each believe that can profit electorally from going to the polls. When politicians think they can win seats and possibly power, this is a powerful aphrodisiac they can hardly resist.

Either way, it is time the prime minister stood down. Johnson has rallied his party around the belief that he could deliver the Brexit he's promised by October 31. He repeated this despite all evidence to the contrary. He has spent millions of taxpayers' money on ads telling the public to get ready for a Brexit that isn't happening for months to come, for 50 pence coins commemorating an October Brexit day that will not come to pass and a billion pounds preparing for a No Deal that never happened.

The sheer scale of this enormous waste of money, effort and needless spin in support of an event that was never going to happen in October coupled with the unanimous finding of the UK's Supreme Court that he has unlawfully suspended Parliament dragging the Queen into his partisan, political mess violating Britain's constitution is so great as to be perhaps unforgivable. Resignation is the least Johnson can do to acknowledge his failure to make good on his promises and uphold our constitution.

Brexit will remain a divisive issue whether or not it ever happens. But the only path to national healing and a chance at healing is for our politicians to regain public trust. Johnson has the opportunity now to do one honorable thing and admit defeat while resigning on Halloween. Perhaps his supporters will stand by him or his party punished for failing to deliver the Brexit they've tried to sell. A general election will eventually provide answers to these issues. For now, the UK cannot move forward with a divisive prime minister in office who is so lacking in respect for the constitution or the rule of law.

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