BREXIT DEADLOCK
Gove says EU is refusing to negotiate – as Tory rebels threaten to drag in the Queen
‘Breathtaking, stupid and infantile’
MICHAEL Gove ignited a furious row with EU leaders last night by accusing them of refusing to negotiate a new Brexit deal.
The senior Cabinet minister said he was ‘deeply saddened’ that Brussels would not consider an agreement that did not include the controversial Northern Ireland backstop.
It came as rebel Tory MPs said they would urge the Queen to sack Boris Johnson if he defied calls to make way for a new prime minister after the loss of any confidence vote.
They are furious at the suggestion that he might try to cling on at No10 if MPs opposed to No Deal join forces and vote to show he does not have their support.
The rebels believe he cannot stand in the way of a ‘unity government’ of Labour, the Lib Dems and SNP backed by a majority in the Commons.
Former attorney general Dominic Grieve, who is leading efforts to prevent No Deal, described the idea of Mr Johnson clinging on as ‘breathtaking, stupid and infantile’. He said it was an ‘utter fantasy’ that Mr Johnson could prevent a new government being formed – and suggested the Queen would have to intervene to prevent a constitutional crisis.
Under the Fixed-Term Parliaments Act there is a 14-day period after the loss of a confidence vote. If no one else gains the confidence of the Commons during this time there is a general election.
But some believe Mr Johnson has no legal obligation to quit as Prime Minister, and could stay to ensure any election was held after Brexit on October 31, preventing attempts to scupper No Deal.
Mr Grieve said: ‘A prime minister defeated in a motion of no confidence cannot sit out the 14 days and prevent a new government being formed if it has the support of the Commons.
‘If he were to refuse to resign to allow that to happen... the Queen would have to sack him. She is the ultimate guardian of our constitution. That’s her job. Unless you want to tear up the constitution we shouldn’t go down the route advocated by Boris Johnson.’ However, Mr Gove, who has been given responsibility for No Deal preparations, said ministers were ‘ready to negotiate in good faith’ with the EU to create a new deal, but the bloc seemed to be ‘refusing to negotiate’.
He said a ‘new approach’ was needed to get an agreement through the Commons.
His comments were rebuffed by Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar, who said that although there was scope for talks, the Withdrawal Agreement negotiated by Theresa May – including the backstop – was ‘closed’.
Their comments exposed the entrenched positions on both sides, with Mr Johnson insisting the EU must ditch the ‘antidemocratic’ Irish backstop before progress can be made.
He has declared that the UK will leave on October 31 ‘whatever the circumstances’.
EU leaders are refusing to budge, however, saying the backstop cannot be changed.
Allies of the Prime Minister believe the EU will not make any concessions until the last minute and only when opposition MPs have moved to block a No Deal departure.
However, Mr Gove’s language suggests the Government is ready to blame intransigence from Brussels if a compromise does not materialise and Britain leaves without a deal.