What’s the latest mad Brexit plan? Force the EU to throw us out before the deadline
BELEAGUERED Boris Johnson has now ditched a plot to resign on October 18 — and hatched another one to force the EU to chuck Britain out of Europe the previous day.
The PM has been flailing around for a Plan B since Parliament blocked no-deal and Jeremy Corbyn thwarted his early election plot.
On Thursday, the downhearted leader could see his premiership dying in the ditch of the EU summit in Brussels next month. It would have meant Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab becoming temporary PM while the Tories held a hasty search for a new leader.
WHEEZE
But now Boris’ overjoyed policy wonks claim to have found an obscure loophole in EU law they believe could leave the European Commission paralysed if we are still in the EU after the October 31 deadline.
It works like this: the Commission must have 28 commissioners by November 1 — one for each member state — to continue to function.
If Mr Johnson refuses to supply one from Britain, it will be unable to legally constitute itself. And if the EU tries to reduce the number to 27 to get round this, our PM will use Britain’s veto to stop them.
“We will play them at their own game and fight fire with fire,” an excited No 10 source said. And a senior Whitehall official added: “We’re not going to take this laying down as Theresa May’s administration did.” The legal basis for this madcap scheme is set out in the Treaty on European Union as modified in 2009.
Mr Johnson will go to Brussels for the crunch European Council meeting on October 17 where he is determined not to ask for a deadline extension, breaking British law and risking jail.
But he is gambling that the EU will be floored by his wizard wheeze and insist we go by October 31 anyway so its institutions can be up and running the next day. Meanwhile, the PM is still looking at ever more desperate ways to force an election.
He’s even considering triggering a vote of no confidence in himself so Britain can go to the polls on October 25.
A Whitehall source said: “That option is still on the table.” No 10 is also considering a legal challenge to the no-deal Bill launched by Labour’s Hilary Benn.
The PM will try again tomorrow to get MPs to vote for a General Election to be held on October 15. But Labour, SNP, Lib Dems and Plaid Cymru plan to block that.
Labour’s Kevan Jones said: “We’re not playing ball. We’ll let the PM stew in his own juice.”
After the expulsion of 21 Tory rebels, including senior figures such as Ken Clarke and Philip Hammond, there will have to be an election this year. And No 10 is still adamant that none will be reinstated.
We’ll play them at their own game... fight fire with fire NO 10 SOURCE ON PM’S AIM TO PARALYSE THE EU