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Speaker Bercow could be forced to ask for Brexit delay Police complaint on friend is no smear, insists Corbyn
Johnson says the UK will leave the EU on October 31 do or die, with no more delay under any circumstances.
His own civil servants would put him on the spot by either resigning or demanding a public declaration that they were ordered to be lawbreakers.
Ex-Civil Service head Lord Bob Kerslake said: “If I had been asked to act in an unlawful way I would make them say I was directed to do so.
“But the fact the PM lost so heavily in the Supreme Court makes it less likely he’d chance his arm again.”
Mark Serwotka, head of civil service union PCS, added: “We have raised this issue with the Cabinet Office and they recognise there is a potential problem with civil servants breaking the law. It’s a deplorable situation.”
The PM is instead trying to find loopholes which would allow him to legally refuse to ask for an extension.
One ruse would be to use EU law to trump the “no to no-deal” legislation put forward by Mr Benn and passed by MPs.
Another, uncovered by ex-Tory PM Sir John Major, is to get Cabinet ministers in their role as Privy Councillors to suspend the Benn Act until after Brexit. But critics say such a move is insulting to the Queen because the Privy Council answers to the Crown. Constitutionalist David Rogers said: “Any minister who did that should be thrown out of the Privy Council for breaking the oath they took to belong to it in the first place.”
The SNP now want Labour to join them in seeking a no confidence vote this week while the Tories are away.
They are prepared to accept Jeremy Corbyn as interim PM.
The SNP’s Stewart Hosie told Radio 4: “There is now no confidence that the PM will obey the law and seek the extension Parliament voted for.”
Lib Dem leader Jo Swinson is opposed to giving the Labour leader the keys to No10, even temporarily.
A Labour source said only: “Discussions continue on a range of options.” JEREMY Corbyn yesterday hit back at Tory claims that boris Johnson’s referral to a police watchdog is a political smear
The PM was referred to the Independent Office for Police Conduct by the Greater London Authority’s monitoring officer, Emma Strain.
The watchdog must decide if he should face a criminal probe over allegations of misconduct in public office. Ms Strain said this related to his friendship with US businesswoman Jennifer Arcuri while London’s mayor.
Mr Johnson denies using his influence to get Ms Arcuri on overseas trade missions and secure her company sponsorship grants.
Environment Secretary Theresa Villiers said the complaint was “politically motivated”, coming on the eve of the Tory Party conference in Manchester, which is going ahead despite talks to agree a parliamentary recess for MPs breaking down.
Mr Johnson was seen arriving yesterday at the conference hotel with partner Carrie Symonds, the first time they have been pictured arm in arm since he became PM.
but as delegates assembled for the four-day event, Labour’s Mr Corbyn said Ms Strain had made a “wholly independent assessment”. He added: “There are serious questions to answer. The job of the Prime Minister is to answer those questions.”
The IOPC is involved because as mayor of London Mr Johnson was also police and crime commissioner.
The IOPC deals with complaints against police forces. In a letter to Mr Johnson, Ms Strain said the referral related to his time as London mayor from 2008 to 2016.
She added: “It has been brought to my attention that you maintained a friendship with Ms Arcuri and as a result of that friendship allowed Ms Arcuri to participate in trade missions and receive sponsorship monies in circumstances when she and her companies could not have expected otherwise to receive those benefits.”
The bbC spoke to some of those who went on trade missions with Mr Johnson to Malaysia and Singapore, New York, and Tel Aviv. They said Ms Arcuri seemed out of place, as her company was less substantial than others. Mr Johnson said: “Everything was done entirely in the proper way.”
The PM also said he would comply with a London Assembly order to explain his links to Ms Arcuri.