Rebels: We’ll make Johnson beg for Brexit delay

REBEL MPs could pass a law next week that forces Boris Johnson to ask Brussels for another Brexit delay immediately.

Liberal Democrat leader Jo Swinson wants to overhaul legislation that gives the Prime Minister three weeks to get a deal before having to seek an extension.

The ‘Benn Law’ – legislation passed earlier this month to prevent Britain leaving without a deal – gives the PM until october 19 to secure a deal or else face having to ask Brussels for a three-month extension to talks. But Mr Johnson has said he would rather be ‘dead in a ditch’ than write to European leaders requesting an extension to Article 50 – the formal process for leaving the EU – beyond the current Halloween deadline.

Miss Swinson said she wanted to ‘bring forward’ the cut-off date of october 19 to ensure there was time to legally challenge Mr Johnson to obey the law.

Geoffrey Cox, the Attorney General, pledged yesterday that the Government would comply with the Benn Law.

He told MPs: ‘There is no question of this Government not obeying the law. There is a question as to precisely what obligations the law might require of the Government, but once those obligations are ascertained with clarity the Government will obey them.’

Addressing the media outside Parliament, Miss Swinson argued that MPs should not wait until october 19 to see if Mr Johnson asks for an extension.

She warned the 12-day buffer between the Benn Law deadline and october 31 was not enough to safeguard against No Deal.

If Mr Johnson refuses to comply with the law and request an extension by october 19, the courts could force him to act – but Miss Swinson warned that such a process ‘takes time and there are risks attached to it’.

She said: ‘We would argue that 12 days is not sufficient, particularly in line with a prime minister who has shown he is prepared to disobey the law. That is why we have to bring forward the ways in which we can make sure the No Deal threat is removed.’

Miss Swinson ruled out pushing for a vote of no confidence in the Government until that deadline is moved.

‘It is hugely important we do not risk accidentally crashing out of the European Union, and that is the risk of an early vote of no confidence,’ she said. ‘That is why we are saying we should explore all options to bring forward that guarantee that we can take No Deal off the table, because then we can get rid of this prime minister who is unfit for office.’