A trio of Cabinet big beasts has lined up in opposition to Boris Johnson’s ‘do or die’ No Deal Brexit pledge as they suggested they would do everything they can to stop the UK leaving the EU without an agreement.
Justice Secretary David Gauke, Chancellor Philip Hammond and de-facto deputy prime minister David Lidington have all spoken out against the next government pursuing a disorderly split from Brussels.
Meanwhile, the One Nation group of moderate Tory MPs has written to Mr Johnson and his leadership rival Jeremy Hunt to demand more details about how they would mitigate the effect of leaving with no agreement.
But Mr Johnson today hit back as he dismissed the warnings Parliament will find a way to block a No Deal Brexit as a ‘red herring’.
Speaking during a Tory leadership hustings event in Darlington, Mr Johnson said: ‘We are facing an existential crisis as a party and indeed as a political class.
‘It was a clear, clear majority for Leave. Now we are at a state where MPs seem still to be refusing to enact the mandate of the people. That is why our great party is languishing in the polls.’
The growing concern among Tory MPs – particularly senior figures within the party – means Mr Johnson’s vow to deliver Brexit by Halloween is in peril.
The EU has repeatedly said it will not renegotiate the terms of Britain’s divorce – the former foreign secretary’s ‘Plan A’ – while many of his own Tory colleagues are increasingly outspoken about stopping No Deal.
Meanwhile, Mr Johnson has backed away from the possibility of suspending Parliament to stop MPs preventing the UK crashing out of the bloc.
That could mean the would-be PM would have no choice but to seek a further Brexit delay or a snap general election to try to break the impasse in the House of Commons.
David Gauke, the Justice Secretary, is expected to leave the government if Boris Johnson becomes prime minister. He is staunchly opposed to a No Deal Brexit
David Lidington, the Minister for the Cabinet Office, has become the latest senior Tory to say he could not serve in a pro-No Deal government
Philip Hammond has been a vocal opponent of Britain leaving the EU without an agreement. He said he believed MPs ‘will find a way’ to stop the UK crashing out of the bloc
Mr Johnson, pictured on the campaign trail in Guisborough today, hit back at the Cabinet ministers as he said the idea MPs could block No Deal was a ‘red herring’
The former foreign secretary, pictured today, accused MPs willing to try to thwart the UK leaving the EU on October 31 of refusing to accept the result of the 2016 EU referendum
Mr Gauke has already said he could not serve under Mr Johnson and he has now warned that Parliament will be able to find a way to block No Deal.
Speaking to The House magazine, the Remain-backing minister said: ‘If I was to speculate on it, given that we have an activist Speaker, given that there is a parliamentary majority against no deal, a way will be found.
‘Then that leaves the question of well, what would the new prime minister do in those circumstances.
‘Would he try to resolve this by changing parliament? In other words, by having a general election.
‘But the idea of a general election before we have resolved Brexit is extremely risky for the Conservative party.
‘That is a very difficult choice, particularly if your language has been so strong about we will definitely do or die have left the European Union on 31st of October.’
Meanwhile, Mr Hammond told the BBC: ‘The House Commons has been clear that it does not support a no-deal exit.
‘Let me quote the Speaker, who has said if the Commons is determined to do something, it will find a way.
‘I am quite confident it will find a way — and indeed should be able to find a way, because this is a parliamentary democracy, and it would be frankly rather shocking if the House of Commons, the elected representatives of the people, could be simply sidelined.’
Mr Hammond has been a vocal opponent of a No Deal Brexit. Earlier this week he told MPs such a departure from the EU ‘would be bad for the UK, bad for the British economy and bad for the British people’.
The Chancellor said it ‘would be wrong for a British Government to seek to pursue No Deal as a policy’ as he suggested he would vote against any such push.
Mr Lidington became the latest senior minister to reportedly rule out serving in a government which advocated Britain intentionally crashing out of the EU.
He told The Times: ‘I think no-deal will be very bad for the Union both economically and politically.’
Mr Johnson, pictured today, has vowed to deliver Brexit by October 31 ‘do or die’ with or without a deal
Mr Hunt, pictured at a Tory leadership hustings in York last night, has said he would keep No Deal as an option but he would be open to a further Brexit delay if it was needed to secure an agreement
The current government has a working majority of just four MPs which means the next prime minister will have virtually no margin for error when it comes to wining votes in the Commons.
It also means the next PM will be particularly susceptible to the threat of losing a no confidence vote given it would only take a handful of Tories to vote with opposition MPs to bring down the government.
Both Mr Johnson and Mr Hunt have advocated leaving with or without a deal on October 31 but Mr Hunt has said he would be willing to agree to a further delay if more time was needed to strike a deal.
Rising concern over No Deal in the Tory ranks was further illustrated by a letter sent to the two candidates from the One Nation group of moderate Conservative MPs.
In the letter, first reported by The Times, the MPs said they needed ‘far more detail’ on the candidates’ ‘mitigation plans’ which would be implemented in a No Deal scenario.
They also demanded details of what would be in Mr Hunt’s and Mr Johnson’s ’emergency No Deal budget’.
Mr Johnson said last night that he was ‘not remotely attracted’ to proroguing parliament but did not explicitly rule out taking such an action if he becomes PM.
‘I am not attracted to resorting to such a device because I confide in the maturity and common sense of my fellow MPs,’ he added.