Will Boris call October election to stop MPs blocking No Deal?
Bercow ‘came close to defecting to Labour’
BORIS Johnson has been told there is no legal bar to prevent him suspending Parliament for five weeks to stop MPs blocking a No Deal Brexit.
The revelation came amid mounting speculation that the Prime Minister is gearing up for the possibility of a snap election, possibly as soon as mid-October.
Yesterday Mr Johnson admitted it was ‘touch and go’ whether Britain would leave the EU with an agreement on October 31, having previously said the odds were ‘a million to one against’.
But as Mr Johnson predicted Britain could ‘easily cope’ with a No Deal Brexit, Brussels accused him of having no plan to break the deadlock.
Mr Johnson said: ‘This is a great, great country the UK, we can easily cope with a No Deal scenario.’
Speaking to Sky News as he attended the G7 summit in Biarritz, the PM added: ‘Frankly I think it’s highly unlikely that there will be food shortages of any kind. There may be bumps on the road but we will get through.’
The Prime Minister, who held a one-on-one meeting with European Council president Donald Tusk on the sidelines of the gathering with world leaders, argued that a deal or not ‘depends entirely’ on the EU and confirmed that he planned to withhold a large portion of the £39billion Brexit divorce bill if there was No Deal.
He said that ‘very substantial sums’ would be available ‘to our country to spend on our priorities’, adding: ‘It’s a fact of reality.’ In
‘There may be bumps on the road’
preparation for a possible No Deal, it emerged that the Prime Minister had asked Attorney General Geoffrey Cox for legal advice on whether it would be possible to prorogue parliament from September 9. Initial advice, in a leaked email seen by the Observer, suggests that the controversial tactic ‘may well be possible’.
A No 10 source confirmed that ministers are considering a cut in fuel duty in the autumn Budget, in a move that is certain to be seen as a pre-election sweetener. The source said: ‘It is time to finally put some money back in the pockets of motorists. It also sends a clear message that the PM is fully behind business in the run-up to Brexit.’
However, in signs of Cabinet tension, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps indicated he would rather see resources focused on encouraging motorists to switch to electric vehicles. Mr Shapps told Sky News that the Budget ‘has not even been planned yet’, adding: ‘If you want to ask for my long-term view, it’s electric vehicles.’
A senior government official denied ministers were working towards an election on October 17. Supporters of the plan, which has been examined by the PM’s senior adviser Dominic Cummings, believe an election victory would give Mr Johnson a powerful mandate to demand concessions at an EU summit the following day. But other senior Tories believe the idea is fraught with risk. Asked about the proposal, the senior government official said: ‘The PM is not planning on that.’
No 10 did not deny that Mr Johnson has sought advice on the legality of suspending Parliament but a source said: ‘No 10 seeks legal advice all the time on a whole number of issues. The PM has been clear that he is not going to stop MPs debating Brexit.’
However, the proposal enraged pro-Remain MPs with Shadow Brexit Secretary Sir Keir Starmer describing it as ‘outrageous’. Tory rebel ringleader Dominic Grieve accused Mr Johnson of showing ‘contempt for the House of Commons’.
Brussels last night said the ‘ball is firmly and squarely’ in the UK’s court, as EU sources said they were awaiting proposals from Mr Johnson on how technology could be used to avoid a hard border with Northern Ireland.
A source said: ‘If the British have alternative arrangements – concrete, operational alternative arrangements – we are eager to hear about them, but nothing like that was raised.’
The source also dismissed Mr Johnson’s comments that the chances of a deal were ‘improving’. They said: ‘There was a positive atmosphere. But I don’t think you can say that based on the meeting today. It just reconfirmed no one wants No Deal. We need to find some kind of solution and if it cannot be the backstop we need ideas, but we did not get them.’
Meanwhile, Chancellor Sajid Javid has installed a Brexit countdown calendar on his desk at the Treasury to focus minds on the need to prepare the country for Brexit in just over two months.
But the use of a similar clock in No 10 has been vetoed because it was considered to be ‘too stressful’ for officials. Alex Aiken, the civil service’s executive director of communications, is reported to have blocked the idea, fearing it would place ‘too much pressure’ on staff.