https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2019/09/12/boris-johnson-urged-cabinet-allies-ask-brexit-extension-rather/Boris Johnson urged by Cabinet allies to ask for Brexit extension rather than disobey the law and risk Corbyn in No 10
Anna Mikhailova, deputy political editor
12 SEPTEMBER 2019 • 9:30PM
Follow
Boris Johnson has been urged by Cabinet allies to ask Brussels for a Brexit extension rather than disobey the law and risk a Jeremy Corbyn government.
A Cabinet minister told the Telegraph Mr Johnson - who has said he would rather be "dead in a ditch" than ask for a delay - should back down and follow Parliament's instruction to ask for a three-month extension if he cannot agree a deal.
"The Government does not break the law," the minister said.
The Prime Minister has staked his premiership on getting Britain out of the EU on Oct 31 "do or die" whether or not he can broker a new deal.
The comments from the minister, a Brexiteer, are the first sign of a Cabinet split over Mr Johnson's insistence that MPs cannot stop him taking Britain out of the EU without a deal.
It has also been suggested that Mr Johnson could resign as Prime Minister in order to make Jeremy Corbyn ask for an extension, and then force an election to oust him. But the minister said: "He cannot resign. Jeremy Corbyn could end up staying in Number 10 for a year.”
A law which gained royal assent on Monday requires the Prime Minister to ask the EU to delay Brexit until Jan 31 - or for however long Brussels might otherwise dictate - if he fails to agree a deal by Oct 19, the last day of a summit of EU leaders.
Downing Street has indicated that the Prime Minister believes the new Act can be challenged in court, and the minister said that if a legal challenge failed he would have no choice but to comply with the law.
"He should say he is obliged to by the courts", said the minister, adding that this could be enough to appease Brexiteers as Mr Johnson would make clear it was against his will.
Mr Johnson should then continue to push for an election during the three-month extension period, the minister said.
Asked if they would prefer Mr Johnson resign or seek an extension, the Cabinet minister said: “extension”.
If Mr Johnson refused to comply with Parliament's demands to request an extension, he could be taken to court and ordered to do so by a judge. If he still resisted, he could be held in contempt of court and face a possible jail sentence.
The minister suggested that would trigger a confidence vote which would be likely to result in a Corbyn premiership.
On Thursday Tory rebel Sir Oliver Letwin said Mr Johnson’s plan for a general election could be blocked by the House of Commons until next summer.
Sir Oliver, one of 21 MPs expelled from the party after voting against the Government, said a cross-party alliance is ready to insist that an election be delayed until after key decisions on Brexit have been settled, either by a deal or through a referendum, possibly as late as summer 2020.
Having a Brexit-focused general election “muddles things up”, Sir Oliver told the Evening Standard.
On Thursday the Prime Minister insisted he remained confident that it would be possible to reach a deal in time for it to be agreed at the EU summit in October.
"I'm very hopeful that we will get a deal, as I say, at that crucial summit,” he said. “We're working very hard - I've been around the European capitals talking to our friends.
"I think we can see the rough area of a landing space, of how you can do it - it will be tough, it will be hard, but I think we can get there."
In a further sign that Mr Johnson will now try for a compromise Brexit deal, the Cabinet minister said the "ERG will be harder to convince than the DUP" in trying to get an a new deal from Brussels through Parliament.
Meanwhile, Michel Barnier, the EU's chief negotiator, said the EU is waiting to consider any UK proposals to replace the Northern Irish backstop.
"We are still ready to examine objectively any concrete and legally operational proposals from the UK," he said.
A No 10 spokesman said: "The Prime Minister has been crystal clear, we will be leaving on October 31 and the government will not be seeking an extension."
Show Posts