Tory knives out for Johnson over No Deal stance
BORIS Johnson sparked Tory civil war yesterday over his Brexit plans.
Tory moderates, including Chancellor Philip Hammond, warned that any attempt by Mr Johnson to force a No Deal Brexit could collapse the Government.
Mr Hammond even refused to rule out supporting a Labour-led confidence motion if the next Conservative leader pursued No Deal.
Unveiling his Tory leadership manifesto in his newspaper column last night, Mr Johnson said: ‘No one sensible would aim exclusively for a No Deal exit. No one responsible would take No Deal off the table.’
He had earlier said Britain must leave the EU when the next extension runs out at the end of October.
But Mr Hammond warned that any Tory leader who went for No Deal risked being toppled. The Chancellor told the BBC: ‘ A prime minister who ignores Parliament cannot expect to survive very long.’
He repeatedly refused to answer whether he personally would vote against the Government in a confidence motion on the issue.
He said: ‘In 22 years in Parliament, I have never voted against the Conservative whip, unlike many of my colleagues, and I don’t want to have to start now contemplating such a course of action.’
Pressed further, he said: ‘I’m saying this is a very difficult situation. It would challenge not just me, but many of our colleagues, and I hope we will never get to that position.’
Mr Johnson’s comments came after fellow leadership hopefuls Dominic Raab, Andrea Leadsom and Esther McVey all said they would be prepared to leave without an agreement on October 31.
Mr Raab yesterday said he would prefer to leave with a deal, but Britain had to show it was prepared to walk away.
He estimated the country would be able to withhold £25 billion of the £39 billion divorce bill if there was No Deal, as he complained the Government had failed to be tough in talks with Brussels.
He told the BBC: ‘I don’t think we were resolute enough... it’s become a miserly, dour, risk-management exercise rather than grasping the opportunity to take back control of our laws, our borders and our money.’
Mrs Leadsom yesterday announced her leadership bid after resigning from Cabinet on Wednesday. Speaking outside her home, she said: ‘Of course, in order to be able to succeed in a negotiation, you have to be prepared to leave without a deal.’
Miss McVey told Sky News the UK must start preparing for No Deal. She added: ‘October 31 is the key date and we are coming out then, and if that means without a deal then that’s what it means.’
Meanwhile, Work and Pensions Secretary Amber Rudd said No Deal ‘doesn’t work’ as a solution to Brexit.
Miss Rudd said: ‘No Deal is not a destination. It doesn’t work, it gets found out and many people want to have a trade deal with the EU.’
Tory MPs will begin whittling down the contenders on June 10, before the party’s 160,000 members vote on the final two candidates with a new leader expected by the end of July.