Boris to defy any no-confidence vote
Boris Johnson would refuse to resign even after losing a confidence vote so he could force through a no-deal Brexit on October 31, under plans being considered by Downing Street.
Dominic Cummings, the prime minister’s most senior aide, told colleagues last week that Johnson would not quit if Tory Remainers voted with Labour to bring down the government.
The Times has been told that Johnson could stay on as prime minister even if Tory MPs were able to form a ‘‘government of national unity’’ opposed to a no-deal Brexit. Johnson would ignore the result of the confidence vote and call a ‘‘people v politicians’’ general election to be held shortly after Britain had left the EU.
Ministers said that there was an emphasis on ‘‘getting stuff out the door’’ by bringing forward policy announcements before a possible election this year.
Constitutional experts confirmed yesterday that Johnson would technically be under no legal obligation to quit if he lost a confidence vote. They warned that it risked the Queen being ‘‘dragged into politics’’ and put in an ‘‘invidious position’’ of facing calls to remove the prime minister herself.
Tory Remainers have conceded that there is no ‘‘absolutely foolproof’’ parliamentary mechanism to stop a no-deal Brexit.
John McDonnell, the shadow chancellor, said yesterday it was ‘‘almost inevitable’’ that Labour would table a confidence motion next month. Dominic Grieve, a leading Tory Remainer and former attorney-general, said that it would be absolutely extraordinary if Johnson refused to quit.
‘‘The prime minister who has been defeated on a confidence motion has a duty to facilitate that process, not obstruct it,’’ he said. ‘‘It would be utterly extraordinary for a prime minister to refuse to leave office when he has lost a vote of confidence and there is an alternative individual available [and] able to form an administration.’’
On Friday Cummings made clear to government advisers that Britain would leave with or without a deal on October 31. He told colleagues that ‘‘nothing will stand in the way of that’’ and that the prime minister has the power to set the date for the next election after Brexit has been delivered.
Johnson tried to play down speculation yesterday that he would call an election, insisting it was ‘‘the last thing I want to do’’.
Catherine Haddon, a senior fellow at the Institute for Government think tank, said that, technically, under the Fixed-term Parliament Act, the prime minister was not required to resign upon losing a vote of confidence.
‘‘In terms of a strict reading of the legislation, Boris is not required to resign. It is completely silent on all of this,’’ she said. – The Times If the Commons passed a motion of no-confidence in Johnson’s government, there would be a 14-day period in which MPs could attempt to form an alternative government. If they did not do so, there must be a general election.
By refusing to resign, even if MPs believed that they had the majority needed to form an alternative government, Johnson would cause a constitutional crisis.