Gauke vows to quit cabinet if Johnson becomes PM
David Gauke, the justice secretary, has said that he will quit the government on Wednesday if Boris Johnson becomes prime minister.
Mr Gauke, who has served in Theresa May‘s cabinet since she took office in June 2016, said he would not be able to serve under the former foreign secretary if he pursued a no-deal Brexit.
As the Tory leadership contest enters its final 48 hours, the prominent no-deal critic told the Sunday Times that crashing out of the European Union would lead to national humiliation.
Mr Gauke said: “Given that I’ve been in the Cabinet since Theresa May came to power, I think the appropriate thing is for me to resign to her.”
The paper also reported that up to six Tory MPs were thinking of defecting to the Liberal Democrats should Mr Johnson beat rival Jeremy Hunt and enter No 10 – leaving him with no majority in the Commons.
The ballot for the Tory leadership race will close tomorrow, with the result announced on Tuesday.
The Sunday Times also reported that Mr Johnson, who is widely predicted to win the contest, has reportedly been secretly wooed by European politicians and officials in a bid to thrash out a new Brexit plan to avoid a no-deal exit.
It said figures from Ireland, France, Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands had established contact with the frontrunner’s team and signalled their intention to do a deal.
Amber Rudd, the work and pensions secretary and former Remainer, has urged her Tory colleagues to back whoever wins the contest. Writing in the Sunday Telegraph, she said: “Just as the Conservative Party came together after that EU referendum, it must now come together again no matter who wins.
“I know many of my colleagues have strong feelings but a new prime minister will get a new hearing in the European Union and I hope everyone can unite behind that. If we don’t, the alternative could be Corbyn for Christmas.”
Her comments came after Philip Hammond, the chancellor, fired a warning shot to Mr Johnson, saying he would do everything in his power to block a no-deal Brexit and left open the possibility of voting to bring down a Conservative government in such an event.