South Wales Echo

PM denies claim he will delay Brexit

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BORIS JOHNSON insisted that he will not delay Brexit, despite his lawyers saying he will comply with a law calling for the October 31 exit date to be postponed if there is no deal.

The Prime Minister accepted he must send a letter requesting a delay to Brexit beyond the Halloween deadline if no deal is agreed with Parliament by October 19, Scotland’s highest civil court heard.

But Mr Johnson, right, later said the options facing the country were his proposed new Brexit deal or leaving without an agreement, “but no delay”.

The Prime Minister has previously said “we will obey the law” but will also leave on October 31 in any circumstan­ce, without specifying how he would achieve the apparently contradict­ory goals – fuelling speculatio­n that he had identified a loophole to get around the Benn Act.

He has also declared he would rather be “dead in a ditch” than ask for a delay.

Any extension to the Article 50 process – the mechanism by which the UK leaves the European Union – would have to be agreed by all 27 other EU leaders.

The legal action – led by businessma­n Vince Dale, SNP MP Joanna Cherry QC and Jolyon Maugham QC – asked the court to require Mr Johnson to seek an extension to avoid leaving the EU without a deal.

Andrew Webster QC, representi­ng the UK Government, said the documents it has submitted to the court are a “clear statement” as to what the Prime Minister will do.

He argued there is no need for an order to be made forcing a letter requesting an Article 50 extension to be sent under the terms of the Benn Act, because the court has it on record it will be sent.

Judge Lord Pentland is to announce his decision on Monday.

Mr Maugham told the PA news agency the Prime Minister’s submission said “he would send the letter mandated by the Benn Act” and would not “frustrate” attempts to get an extension.

He added: “We want to see the courts tell him that ‘unless you send the letter, no later than October 19, unless you cease trying to frustrate Parliament’s intention, there will be personal consequenc­es for you, you could go to prison.’”

Meanwhile, Brexit talks with Brussels on Mr Johnson’s plan to replace the backstop could continue over the weekend.

Brussels said that “every day counts” as the clock ticks down to a crunch summit of EU leaders on October 17-18 and Downing Street said “we are ready to talk at any point, including over the weekend”.

The Prime Minister is expected to embark on a tour of European capitals for face-to-face talks next week as well as continuing to speak by phone to counterpar­ts.

The Prime Minister’s Europe adviser, David Frost, has been in Brussels for technical talks with officials.

Mr Johnson’s plans would see Northern Ireland apply EU rules on goods, but stay in a customs territory with the UK.

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