PM warns rebel MPS: back me or be sacked

Tories who defy Johnson by trying to stop no-deal Brexit will be expelled from party

BORIS JOHNSON delivered an ultimatum to Philip Hammond and other rebel Tory MPS last night, warning they will be expelled from the party if they join forces with Jeremy Corbyn to try to halt a no-deal Brexit this week.

In a plan agreed by a dozen whips and Mr Johnson over lunch at Chequers yesterday, any Tory MP who defies No 10 will lose the party whip and be banned from standing at a future election. The ultimatum could see a host of former ministers fighting to block a no-deal outcome – including Mr Hammond, David Gauke, David Lidington, Margot James, Anne Milton and Sam Gyimah – effectively “purged”.

A senior source in the Whips’ Office said: “The whips are telling Conservative MPS a very simple message: if they fail to vote with the Government on Tuesday, they will be destroying the Government’s negotiating position and handing control of Parliament to Jeremy Corbyn.

“Any Conservative MP who does this will have the whip withdrawn and will not stand as a Conservative candidate in an election.

“There is a chance of a deal on Oct 17 only because Brussels realises the Prime Minister is totally committed to leaving on Oct 31 ... all MPS face a simple choice [tomorrow]: to vote with the Government and preserve the chance of a deal or vote with Corbyn and destroy any chance of a deal.”

Mr Johnson’s threat comes in a week which will define his Brexit ambitions, with John Bercow, the Commons Speaker, set to hand control of the parliamentary agenda to opposition MPS so they can pass a law to force the Government to delay Brexit.

Ejecting as many as 21 Tory MPS from the party would decisively wipe out Mr Johnson’s Commons majority and set him on course for an autumn general election. But the Tory leader will hope that his “take it or leave it” offer, combined with his decision to break off talks, will put pressure on the rebels – who now have to choose between ending their political careers over a plan which may run out of time if it fails to clear the Lords by next week.

Michael Gove, the Cabinet Office minister, suggested Mr Johnson could even ignore any law forced on his Government that tries to keep the UK in the EU after Oct 31. He told the Andrew Marr Show on BBC One that the Government would “wait and see” what legislation was put forward.

Labour is also expected to agree its plans at a meeting of the shadow cabinet, hours after former leader Tony Blair is set to warn his party not to support a general election until a no-deal Brexit is ruled out.

Mr Johnson had initially planned to meet the rebels today to discuss their concerns. But that was abruptly cancelled last night, citing a “diary clash”. No 10 then offered a one-to-one between Mr Johnson and Mr Hammond,

IF THE Tory rebels had their way, they would be holding a series of meetings today with Boris Johnson to seek assurances over his Brexit plans.

But last night the Prime Minister cancelled the meetings and instead presented the rebels with a simple ultimatum: back him or side with Jeremy Corbyn’s plan to stop no deal and lose the Tory whip.

Those rebels now have 24 hours to mull the take-it-or-leave-it offer before Labour is expected to begin its attempt to have Parliament legislate to prevent no deal.

The tactic was deployed at the end of a day which began with David Gauke – the leader of the so-called rebel “Gaukeward squad” – suggesting that he was prepared to lose his job in his attempt to stop no deal.

Mr Gauke told Sophy Ridge on Sunday, on Sky News: “Sometimes there is a point where you have to judge between your own personal interests and the national interest and the national interest has to come first, but I hope it doesn’t come to that.”

But just moments after Mr Gauke had vacated his chair in the Sky News studios, Michael Gove was telling The Andrew Marr Show on BBC One that the Government might not abide by any legislation which attempted to keep the UK in the EU beyond Oct 31.

Mr Gove said the Government would “wait and see” what legislation was put forward by MPS before deciding whether it would abide by it.

His comments raise the prospect that the Tory rebels could ultimately end their careers to vote for legislation which the Government then refuses to comply with.

Mr Gove said: “Let’s see what the legislation says … you are asking me about a pig in a poke.”

Meanwhile, the Labour Party was at odds over how it should approach the week ahead. Sir Keir Starmer, the shadow Brexit secretary, suggested the party should focus on passing laws to prevent no deal, rather than forcing a confidence vote in Mr Johnson that could result in a general election.

Sir Keir fears that in the event of an election – which would lead to the suspension of Parliament – the UK could leave the EU automatically on Oct 31 with no way of MPS preventing it.

He told The Andrew Marr Show: “What we’re not going to do is allow Boris Johnson, on top of what he’s already done, to say, ‘well, I’ll arrange things so that we crash out during the course of a general election, which I, Boris Johnson, may not win.’”

On Sky News, John Mcdonnell, the shadow chancellor, proposed pushing for a confidence vote as early as this

‘We have moved beyond the point when threats or gongs will persuade people to abandon their principles’

week, if the bid to delay Brexit faltered. “Let me just say, general election? Bring it on ... If he wants to bring a general election about, bring it about,” Mr Mcdonnell added.

In the midst of the confusion, the Tory rebels had hoped to receive assurances from Mr Johnson that may have prevented them from joining an alliance with Mr Corbyn’s MPS.

A senior source close to the rebel group said it wanted “proof that the negotiation [with the EU] is real”.

The source added: “As determined as they are to prevent a no-deal Brexit, they want more than anything to enable a deal ... They will wait to see what the Prime Minister has to say. None of this group wants to destabilise the Government.”

However, that option was removed last night when Mr Johnson issued his ultimatum. The threat to strip them of the whip was “sheer hypocrisy”, the source said, because “eight attendees of Cabinet have defied the whip this year on Brexit”, adding: “We have moved beyond the point when threats or gongs will persuade people to abandon their principles.”