Brexit news latest: Tory rebels hit out at Boris Johnson over no-deal Brexit ahead of possible key vote

Former Conservative MP Nick Boles tweeted on Monday morning saying Boris Johnson "must be stopped".
AFP/Getty Images
Charlotte Carter2 September 2019

Tory rebels have hit out at Boris Johnson ahead of a possible Commons showdown this week over no-deal Brexit.

Former Conservative minister Nick Boles and former justice secretary David Gauke both spoke out this morning over Mr Johnson's decision to prorogue parliament and his threat to sack rebel MPs who try to stop no-deal Brexit.

Mr Boles, who is now an independent MP, said the Tory party is dead, with the "hard right" taking over.

Asked on BBC Radio 4's Today programme if the party is finished, Mr Boles said: "Yes. The hard right has taken over the Conservative Party. The Conservative Party has fallen prey to an almost religious obsession with the hardest form of Brexit."

Mr Boles said Brexit is "not necessarily" a hard-right move but that "foisting" a no-deal departure on the UK is.

He said efforts to legislate to prevent such a departure was not an attempt to "sneak" a second referendum and took aim at Conservatives who have backed down on their former warnings about a no-deal to get jobs in Boris Johnson's government.

Mr Boles also declared in a tweet on Monday morning that Boris Johnson "truly is Britain's Trump".

"There is no institution, no relationship and no international commitment that he is not willing to sacrifice to achieve a No Deal Brexit. He is turning the Conservative and Unionist Party into the English National Party," he added.

Meanwhile, Conservative former justice secretary David Gauke accused Boris Johnson of "goading" some Tories to rebel against the Government so they can be purged from the party and a general election can be forced.

The key no-deal Brexit opponent said the Prime Minister's move to put Tory rebels on notice that they face losing the whip was an "unusual approach".

"It's obviously a particularly confrontational approach and, I think, designed, frankly, to realign the Conservative Party, to transform the Conservative Party very much in the direction of a Brexit party," Mr Gauke told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

The MP said he had not heard from party whips in an attempt to convince him to support the Government.

David Guake announced the policy to MPs on Wednesday

"I don't think there seems to be a huge effort to persuade people to support the Government this week. I think they seem to be quite prepared for there to be a rebellion then to purge those who support the rebellion from the party.

"Normally there would be plenty of cajoling. One would have friends from the Cabinet phoning up and saying 'Come on, why don't you support the Government, give them a bit more time?'

"None of that is happening. The usual operation isn't particularly happening. It does seem to me they are almost goading people into voting against the Government.

"Because I think the strategy, to be honest, is to lose this week and then seek a general election, having removed those of us who are not against Brexit, not against leaving the European Union, but believe we should do so with a deal."

Rebecca Long-Bailey
Philip Toscano/PA

It came as shadow business secretary Rebecca Long-Bailey warned that this week is the "last chance" to stop a "disastrous" no-deal departure.

She told the Today programme that this was because of the "constitutional outrage" of Mr Johnson's suspension of Parliament.

The Labour MP also said she supports all lawful and peaceful protests against no-deal and did not rule out backing those who plan to occupy Parliament.

Asked about the move proposed by the Momentum group, she said: "As long as it's peaceful and it's within the law, then I would have no problem with it. I think everybody has the right to voice their concerns and to protest."

On the contrary, Liberal Democrat MP Chuka Umunna said he is "optimistic" a no-deal Brexit can be legislated against this week.

He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "The focus of efforts this week will be on legislating to stop the country crashing out of the EU without a deal. We are very optimistic this can be achieved."

He said the current departure date would need to be delayed for "at least two months" for a pre-Brexit general election to be held and then for up to a further six months for a second referendum.

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