Major accused of hypocrisy as he joins battle against PM

Former prime minister backs legal challenge to ‘totally unacceptable’ prorogation of Parliament

SIR JOHN MAJOR has joined a legal challenge to stop Boris Johnson proroguing Parliament, in a move that has seen him branded a “hypocrite” by senior Tory MPS.

The former prime minister yesterday confirmed he intends to team up with Gina Miller, the Remain campaigner, in her bid to reverse the suspension order issued earlier this week.

Ms Miller, a prominent businesswoman, previously won a case against Theresa May’s administration over the triggering of Article 50, the legal process which started Britain’s exit from the European Union.

Sir John has appointed an experienced legal team led by former solicitor general Lord Garnier QC to represent him when the case is heard at the High Court in London on Thursday next week.

In a statement, Sir John said: “I intend to seek to assist the court from the perspective of having served in government as a minister and prime minister, and also in parliament for many years as a member of the House of Commons.”

Jo Swinson, the Liberal Democrat leader, and Tom Watson, Labour’s deputy leader, also confirmed that they would be joining the legal action yes- terday.

Meanwhile, a separate case brought by 70 Remainer MPS and peers was yesterday denied an interim injunction that would have prevented Mr Johnson from suspending Parliament.

The action will now progress to a full hearing next Tuesday, with the petitioners last night requesting that the Prime Minister be made to provide a legally binding statement, known as an affidavit, setting out his reasons for prorogation.

While they hope it could lead to Mr Johnson being forced to undergo cross-examination, The Daily Telegraph understands that he has ruled out appearing in court.

Sir John’s intervention comes a month after he warned Mr Johnson that suspending Parliament would be “utterly and totally unacceptable”.

However, prominent Brexiteers last night accused Sir John of double standards, pointing out that in 1997 he was himself accused of misusing prorogation powers to avoid the publication of a damning report into the cash for questions scandal.

Speaking to The Telegraph, former Conservative leader Iain Duncan Smith said: “He used prorogation for blatantly political purposes, so I don’t think the world needs another inflated lecture from John Major.

“He thinks he used to walk on water. All these great and the good worthies seem to have forgotten what they got up to in Government. I hope he does join their legal team, because that will allow the Government’s team to ask

‘He thinks he used to walk on water. All these great and the good worthies seem to have forgotten what they got up to in Government’

‘Why was it OK for you but not for anybody else?’”

His comments were echoed by Steve Baker, the former Brexit minister, who said: “I have just finished reading Te- resa Gorman’s book The Bastards about Maastricht and John Major.

“It reminded me of two things. First, that he agreed the major constitutional treaty which led us into this disaster without having a referendum – a referendum he was asked to provide.

“Secondly, after he lost the crucial vote on Maastricht, despite it being tied, he conjoined his Europe policy with a confidence vote in order to bludgeon Tory MPS into voting against their best judgment of the national interest.

“In that context, how dare he now intervene in this way?”