Parliament suspension latest: Boris Johnson at war with senior Tories over plans for Commons shutdown

Ruth Davidson quits as Scots party leader Whip resigns over Parliament shutdown Follow our live updates HERE
The Prime Minister was warned that “Pandora’s Box is now open wide” over his Parliament suspension plans
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Boris Johnson was at war today with senior Tories who were spurred into racing a bill through the Commons to block no deal by his decision to shut down Parliament for a month.

The Prime Minister was warned that “Pandora’s Box is now open wide” as former Cabinet ministers lined up to condemn the move and a member of the Government resigned. In another blow highly regarded Scottish Tory leader Ruth Davidson also quit.

In the face of the revolt, Commons Leader Jacob Rees-Mogg questioned whether the rebels had the “courage and gumption” to pass legislation or topple the Government to avoid Britain crashing out of the EU.

He defended as constitutional the decision to suspend Parliament but fuelled speculation that the Government was preparing for a general election by saying: “No Government, no party, should ever be frightened of the British people.”

Mr Rees-Mogg also had to fend off accusations that the Government had dragged the Queen into politics by asking her to prorogue Parliament from the second week of September until October 14, leaving just over two weeks before the UK is due to leave the EU on October 31.

Ruth Davidson announced she was standing down as leader of the Scottish Conservatives
PA

In another extraordinary day at Westminster:

  • Ms Davidson announced her resignation after recently becoming a mother and following disagreements with Mr Johnson over Brexit.
  • Former Commons leader Lord Young of Cookham resigned from his government post in the Lords over the looming shutdown, which he warned risked “undermining the fundamental role of Parliament”.
  • Ken Clarke, father of the House, accused the Government of telling “blatant lies” with the “outrageous conduct” over the suspension of Parliament, which ministers insist was not done to make it more difficult for MPs to block a no deal.
  • Former Cabinet minister David Lidington attacked the Government for “gagging” Parliament by suspending it and backed the House sitting at weekends and on Friday to give more time to debate Brexit.
  • Senior Tories believe they can pass a bill to force the Prime Minister to ask Brussels for a delay to Brexit unless he can get a new deal which can pass the Commons or wins a vote backing a no-deal departure.
  • Ex-justice secretary David Gauke told the Evening Standard: “The use of the prorogation power to pursue a policy which is opposed by many in Parliament is a dangerous precedent to set. 
  • Former Foreign Office minister Alistair Burt rejected accusations that all MPs opposed to no deal wanted to remain in the EU, stressing hardline Brexiteers had, unlike him, not consistently voted for Leave legislation, adding: “That’s why we’re where we are. Pandora’s Box now open wide”.
  • Former universities minister Sam Gyimah did not rule out voting against the Government in a confidence vote, stressing MPs were being “forced” to choose between their careers and the country, adding: “I have long since gone past the point of focusing primarily on my career.”

Senior Conservatives, including former chancellor Philip Hammond, were planning to delay any moves against the Government on Brexit for about a month to give Mr Johnson the opportunity to strike a new deal with the EU. The prorogation of Parliament means they will fast-track attempts to pass legislation telling the Government to seek a delay to Brexit unless there is a new withdrawal agreement supported by the Commons or backing for no deal.

Leader of the House of Commons Jacob Rees-Mogg
PA

Mr Rees-Mogg said the Government would follow any new law but stressed how it responded would depend on the “precise” legislation passed, suggesting it may try to find a way of wriggling out of the view expressed by Parliament to press on with a potentially catastrophic no-deal departure.

He also hit out at Commons Speaker John Bercow who yesterday branded the planned prorogation a “constitutional outrage” and an “offence against the democratic process”.

Arch Brexiteer Mr Rees-Mogg said the Speaker’s intervention was the “most constitutionally improper thing that happened yesterday”.

Ken Clarke pictured in London today
REUTERS

He said: “The Speaker, by convention and longstanding tradition, has no tongue with which to speak and no eyes with which to see, other than directed by the House.”

Mr Rees-Mogg insisted that accusations that suspending Parliament was “anti-democratic” were “misunderstandings”. He accused MPs of “phoney” or confected” outrage and stressed that people “wailing and gnashing their teeth” know that they can stop a no-deal by changing the law or the Government. “If they don’t have the courage or the gumption to do either of those, then we will leave on October 31 in accordance with the referendum result,” he said.

Ruth Davidson - In pictures

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However, Mr Clarke claimed Mr Johnson had “just given in to the fanatic element of his followers and decided to go hell for leather”.

Asked if he would serve in a caretaker government under Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, he added: “I would do anything necessary to stop this country going through the childishly disastrous mistake of crashing out with no deal.”

Former minister Margot James added: “I will support leaving with a deal, won’t support leaving without one and will support any legitimate measures to prevent such an outcome, working across Parliament will be an important part of that.”

Tory grandee Lord Young, who first became a minister in the Thatcher era, is now a Government spokesman in the Cabinet Office and whip in the Lords.

In his resignation letter, he told Tory Lords Leader Baroness Evans he was “very unhappy” at the timing and length of the prorogation and its “motivation”, saying that it risks undermining the fundamental role of Parliament at a “critical time in our history”.

Mr Lidington, who was Theresa May’s de facto deputy, told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “Parliament is being gagged and people won’t be able to ask questions and hold ministers to account and that is wrong.”

Anti-Brexit campaigner Gina Miller has filed an urgent application for a legal challenge to stop the “cynical and cowardly” prorogation plan, which also faces a court challenge in Scotland.

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