Brexit: Boris Johnson faces showdown in Parliament
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-49560557
The PM faces a showdown in Parliament later as MPs aim to take control of the
agenda to stop a no-deal Brexit.
Ex-chancellor and Tory rebel Philip Hammond said he thought there was enough
support for the bill, seeking to delay the UK's exit date, to pass.
No 10 officials warned the prime minister would push for an election on 14
October if the government loses.
Boris Johnson said he did not want an election, but progress with the EU
would be "impossible" if MPs won.
Meanwhile, Jeremy Corbyn said the Labour Party was ready for a general
election and would be "delighted" to "take the fight to the Tories".
To call an election under the Fixed-term Parliaments Act, Mr Johnson would
need support from Labour as he needs the backing of two-thirds of the UK's
650 MPs to trigger a poll.
However, shadow Northern Ireland secretary Tony Lloyd later said Labour would
vote against any government plans to hold a general election before the UK is
due to leave the EU on 31 October.
He said Labour would not "fall for Boris Johnson's trick" by agreeing to a
general election before 31 October which could ultimately see the Tories gain
a mandate for no deal.
Opponents of no deal believe it would harm the economy, cause severe
disruption to travel and supplies of goods like food and medicine, and lead
to a hard border on the island of Ireland.
Proponents insist, though, that any disruption would be short-lived and could
be managed with careful preparation.
Mr Johnson has vowed to leave on 31 October with or without a deal.
A number of MPs against no deal have come together across party political
lines to try to stop it, and when Parliament returns on Tuesday afternoon
after recess, they are expected to put forward legislation under Standing
Order 24 - a rule that allows urgent debates to be heard.
The bill would force the prime minister to ask for Brexit to be delayed until
31 January, unless MPs had approved a new deal, or voted in favour of a
no-deal exit, by 19 October.
Mr Hammond told BBC Radio 4's Today it was "rank hypocrisy" of Downing Street
to have threatened Tory MPs with expulsion from the party and deselection if
the back the bill given how many ministers had defied Theresa May over Brexit.
The former chancellor was reselected by his local Conservative Party
Association on Monday to stand as its candidate in the next election and said
Number 10 would have "the fight of a lifetime" on their hands if they tried
to override that.
"This is my party. I have been a member of my party for 45 years, I am going
to defend my party against incomers, entryists, who are trying to turn it
from a broad church into a narrow faction," he added.
Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said the anti-no-deal bill "would create
paralysing uncertainty".
"It's craftily designed to allow serial extensions, it would immediately
require the UK to accept any EU conditions, however punitive, however harsh,
and regardless of those conditions the price tag for the taxpayer would be ￡
1bn each month," he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.
"That is clearly designed to delay if not to cancel Brexit, and I think it
scuppers the very positive progress we've had with the EU to get a deal."
In a televised announcement on Monday, Mr Johnson insisted he could achieve
changes to the current Brexit deal at an EU summit on 17 October, but taking
no deal off the table would "plainly chop the legs out from under the UK
position".
How events will unfold in Parliament (timings approximate after 17.00 BST)
14.30 BST: MPs return from their summer recess. New Foreign Secretary Dominic
Raab will be the first cabinet minister of the term to face questions from
MPs.
15.30: Boris Johnson is expected to make a statement about the recent G7
summit in Biarritz. This could last for two hours or so.
17.30: There could be another ministerial statement, potentially on reported
delays to the opening of the HS2 rail line.
After 17.00: If there is no further statement, an MP is expected to make a
three-minute application to the Speaker John Bercow for an emergency debate
on Brexit.
MPs will then be asked for their consent. If some MPs shout "no", 40 MPs in
favour of the debate will need to stand up to ensure the debate goes ahead.
18.00-21.00: If approved, the emergency debate can last up to three hours.
21.00-22.00: MPs will vote on whether to take control of Parliament on
Tuesday to extend the Brexit deadline to, at least, the end of January 2020.
The vote could be as late as 22.00 BST.
What does the no-deal bill say?
https://i.imgur.com/nAdGCW5.png
The legislation to be put forward on Tuesday seeks to tie Boris Johnson's
hands, and instructs him to ask the EU for an extension of the Brexit process
until 31 January 2020.
A lot of attention will be on the clause which says that if the European
Council proposes an extension to a different date, then the prime minister
must accept it within two days, unless that extension has been rejected by
the House of Commons.
In other words, the power to decide will lie with members of Parliament not
with the government.
For a PM who has promised to leave on 31 October come what may, it would seem
to be impossible to accept.
Hence all the talk of an early election. We will know for sure before the end
of this week.
Conservative MP Justine Greening, who is also planning to vote in favour of
the cross-party legislation, has said she will not stand as a Conservative
candidate at the next election.
The MP for Putney told Today she wanted to "focus on making a difference on
the ground on social mobility" and could do that "better" from outside
Parliament.
Ms Greening, whose constituency voted to Remain, accused Mr Johnson of
offering voters a "messy" general election that forces them to choose between
"no deal or Jeremy Corbyn".
Mr Raab insisted he did not want Tory rebels to feel pushed out of the party,
but added: "We do need to focus our minds on the reality of this crucial
crossroads week for the country - we want to get out of this Brexit rut we've
been in for three years."
Meanwhile, in Edinburgh, a judge has begun hearing arguments over the prime
minister's plan to shut down the UK Parliament.
Mr Johnson wants to suspend business for five weeks ahead of a Queen's Speech
- setting out a new legislative programme - on 14 October.
A cross-party group of parliamentarians wants a ruling at the Court of
Session that Mr Johnson is acting illegally.