Fox: Hijacker MPs are stealing Brexit from the people
LIAM Fox has accused MPs of attempting to ‘hijack’ Brexit and ‘steal’ the referendum result as they launch three separate bids to block No Deal today.
The International Trade Secretary said the political consequences would be ‘astronomical’ if Parliament went back on its promise to let the people decide if the country should leave the EU.
His warning came as at least three cross-party groups of MPs prepare to table amendments that would wrestle control of the Brexit process from ministers.
One group including senior Labour MP Yvette Cooper and Tory former minister Nick Boles is backing a bill to suspend the Article 50 withdrawal process if there is no new deal with Brussels by the end of next month.
A second, led by former attorney general Dominic Grieve, will table an amendment to enable backbenchers to choose to debate and vote on Brexit issues one day a week – breaking with the convention that the Government controls the parliamentary timetable. Meanwhile, Labour’s Jack Dromey and Tory ex- minister Dame Caroline Spelman seek support for a third amendment expressing opposition to No Deal. Dr Fox, who is a leading Brexiteer, yesterday said that some MPs were attempting to rob Leave voters of their referendum victory.
Appearing on the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show, he said: ‘ You’ve got a Leave population and a Remain Parliament. Parliament has not got the right to hijack the Brexit process because Parliament said to the people of this country “We make a contract with you – you will make the decision and we will honour it.”
‘What we are now getting is some of those who always absolutely opposed the result of the referendum trying to hijack Brexit and in fact steal the result from the people.’
Dr Fox argued MPs would be wrong to ‘ sub- contract’ the Brexit decision to the people, then take it back.
He said: ‘Parliament said we cannot or will not make a decision on this, you the British people will make the decision. Then 80 per cent of us who are in the House of Commons were elected on a manifesto that said we will honour the result of the referendum.
‘Parliament gave the public the choice, then they said they would honour that. They can’t go back on their word now. The consequences politically would be astronomical.’
The Prime Minister will today set out her plans for Brexit in a motion put before the Commons, which is expected to attract a flurry of amendments from backbenchers before it is voted on by MPs next Tuesday.
Mr Grieve’s amendment, if approved, would allow a motion put down by a minority of 300 MPs – less than half the House of Commons – to be debated as the first item for MPs in the Commons the next day.
It could be used by MPs to stage ‘ indicative votes’ on which Brexit options can command a majority in Parliament, such as a Norway-style deal or a second referendum. Downing Street described the moves as ‘extremely concerning’ and said they underlined the need for MPs who supported Brexit to vote for it in the House.
‘The British public voted to leave the European Union and it is vital that elected politicians deliver upon that verdict,’ a No10 spokesman said.
‘Any attempt to remove the Government’s power to meet the legal conditions of an orderly exit at this moment of historic significance is extremely concerning.’
A FORMER Tory MP who lost his seat in the 2017 snap election has said party figures calling for another poll are ‘ insane’. Stewart Jackson warned that an early election risked Jeremy Corbyn becoming prime minister.
‘Can’t go back on their word’
WE were given a foretaste yesterday of the chaos that will ensue if Parliament succeeds in its Brexit coup against the Government.
Even on the subject of how to prevent No Deal, backbenchers can’t coalesce behind a single amendment – with three separate ones being put forward by competing camps for today’s Commons debate.
If they can’t agree on that relatively straightforward side-issue, what hope is there that they could win a majority for any of the main Brexit options available?
As usual, the plotters are adamant about what they don’t want. But when it comes to deciding what they do want, they descend into schoolyard bickering.
As the Mail has consistently said, there’s just one way to be sure of averting No Deal – or indeed the no-Brexit that hardcore Eurosceptics fear so much. Support Theresa May’s withdrawal agreement.