Remain MPs vow to seize control of Commons
BRITISH Remain MPs backed by Philip Hammond vowed last night to seize control of the House of Commons as soon as it returns next week and ram through a new law to block No Deal.
Despite being outflanked by Boris Johnson’s bombshell announcement, anti-Brexit MPs insisted yesterday they could get the new legislation passed within just five days.
Their apparent aim is to pass a law through the House of Commons and the House of Lords to force Mr Johnson to seek an extension to Article 50 beyond October 31.
As furious plotting began in Westminster last night, Mr Hammond, the former chancellor, indicated he would join efforts to thwart Mr Johnson’s Brexit plans.
And the pro-Remain Commons speaker John Bercow made it clear he would do all he could to help the rebels.
Mr Bercow put out a statement yesterday morning branding the suspension of parliament a ‘constitutional outrage’ and an ‘offence against the democratic process’.
Mr Johnson also faces possible opposition in the courts to his prorogation.
Scottish parliamentarians have applied for a court injunction to mount a legal challenge that could force Mr Johnson to reverse the suspension.
Meanwhile, former Tory prime minister John Major suggested he was considering legal advice about taking similar action in the English courts.
On Monday, Jeremy Corbyn received the backing of five opposition parties to passing a law to force Mr Johnson to extend Article 50 again, beyond the October 31 Brexit deadline.
The five other parties forced the UK Labour leader to drop his preferred option of tabling a vote of no confidence, after which he would take over as caretaker prime minister.
Mr Corbyn insisted yesterday the no-confidence plan was still on the table – but he accepted the legislative approach was now a priority.
He said: ‘The first thing we’ll do is attempt legislation to prevent what [the PM] is doing’, followed by a vote of no confidence ‘at some point’.
Liberal Democrat leader Jo Swinson said they ‘will continue both our cross-party efforts to prevent No Deal, and our fight to stop Brexit altogether,’ while shadow attorney general Chami Chakrabarti said that if the legislative route did not work the courts could get involved.
Mr Major, the former prime minister, said he was still considering legal action to prevent prorogation, with Michael Heseltine adding he hopes the British parliament ‘will use every legal and constitutional weapon to obstruct a government proposing to force on the British people a historic change for which they have long since lost any mandate’.
Backing five opposition parties