Ken Clarke said last night he would be willing to become caretaker Prime Minister to stop Britain leaving the EU without a deal on October 31.
The Tory former Chancellor declared that a government of national unity could be necessary because he believes the country is now facing a crisis similar to the 1930s recession and two world wars.
MPs who want to stop a No Deal Brexit are considering ousting Boris Johnson from Downing Street through a vote of no-confidence, but disagree on who should replace him.
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has put himself forward but he has been rejected by Liberal Democrat leader Jo Swinson, who has suggested an alternative figure such as Mr Clarke or Harriet Harman.
Ken Clarke said last night he would be willing to become caretaker Prime Minister to stop Britain leaving the EU without a deal on October 31
MPs who want to stop a No Deal Brexit are considering ousting Boris Johnson from Downing Street through a vote of no-confidence, but disagree on who should replace him
Last night Mr Clarke said he had been away on holiday for a fortnight and not following the news, but had now returned and would be willing to step in.
He told BBC Radio 4’s PM programme: ‘If it was the only way in which the plain majority in the House of Commons that is opposed to a No Deal exit could find a way forward, I actually said to Jo when she managed to raise me when I was on holiday that I wouldn’t object to it, if that was in the judgment of people, the only way forward.
‘A government of national unity is just one of the things that might be called for.
‘It’s not inconceivable – I mean we’re in a similar situation to 1931 and rather wildly to the two world wars when the same thing happened.
‘But there’s an awful lot to be gone through before then and I haven’t been taking part in any talks with anybody for the last fortnight. I’ve been on the phone to one or two people in the last couple of days just to find out what the devil’s going on.’
His suggestion was met with a stinging rebuke last night from Nigel Evans, a member of the 1922 committee of Tory MPs.
He told the PM programme: ‘We’ve filled the vacancy with Boris Johnson and so I really don’t know what Ken is talking about. It does seem to be Westminster meets La La Land because it’s not as if these ideas are half-baked, I really don’t think they’ve been anywhere near an oven.’
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has called on MPs to install him in Downing Street, but is failing to win the support of other opposition parties
It came as:
- Former Attorney General Dominic Grieve, one of the Tory MPs looking to stop a No Deal Brexit, insisted he would not back Mr Corbyn becoming a caretaker PM – despite agreeing to meet him to discuss the issue;
- Mr Corbyn savaged Miss Swinson after she rejected his plan to lead an emergency government to block a No Deal Brexit; and
- The Labour mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, urged the Liberal Democrats to seriously reconsider Mr Corbyn’s offer.
Yesterday Mr Clarke, the Father of the House, said Mr Corbyn would have to stand aside for a government of national unity.
‘What I just heard him saying is constitutionally wrong and… the precedents of the three national governments I’ve described, in no case was the national government led by the leader of the largest political party,’ he added.
‘Now, he obviously is the Leader of the Opposition in Parliament – he’s the person who hopes to win an election. Personally I think it’s very unlikely he can win an election but he can’t just say, ‘well if there’s any other government it has got to be me’ – that is, I’m afraid, wrong, factually and constitutionally.
Mr Corbyn savaged Lib Dem leader Jo Swinson after she rejected his plan to lead an emergency government to block a No Deal Brexit
‘He’ll have to do what similar party leaders did on previous occasions and let somebody else lead it because I think it is the only way to get a multi-party group to come together.’
Mr Clarke said his government of national unity would be a ‘single-issue, short-term government’ with a policy to ‘sort out Brexit’.
‘I think it would seek an extension, actually put together a mandate for discussions that the majority of the House of Commons approved of, and a mandate that the Europeans would not resist – such as staying in the customs union, staying in regulatory alignment, keeping our free flows of trade and investment, protecting our jobs and our key sectors of business and agriculture in this country.
‘Then, once it had got that underway, it would call an election probably or resign and let’s see if Parliament could form a party government of any kind that took it all forward and started resuming other politics.’
Mr Clarke’s comments came as others rejected the idea of Jeremy Corbyn becoming a caretaker PM.
Arch-Remainer Dominic Grieveinsisted he would not back Mr Corbyn becoming a caretaker PM
Mr Grieve said he would not back such a move following a backlash to the idea from party colleagues, while David Gauke – the ex-Justice Secretary who also opposes No Deal – tweeted: ‘If anyone thinks the answer is Jeremy Corbyn, I think they’re probably asking the wrong question.’
Mr Clarke is our longest-serving MP having being first elected in 1970. As well as Chancellor, he had served as Health Secretary, Education Secretary and Justice Secretary.
But his pro-European stance put him at odds with many in his party and he was unsuccessful in three attempts to become Tory leader.
Energy minister Kwasi Kwarteng said he believed that at 79 Mr Clarke is too old to become Prime Minister.
He told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: ‘I’m a great fan of Ken Clarke… he’s been around for a long time, he’s very experienced.
‘[But] all of this seems to me like speculation. I think we have a Prime Minister and we’ll deliver on the mandate and the referendum of 2016.’
- Boris Johnson is expected to fly to Berlin and Paris next week for talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French president Emmanuel Macron ahead of a G7 summit in Biarritz next weekend.
Jeremy Corbyn savages Lib Dem leader after she rejected his plan to lead an emergency government and insists ‘I’m the man for the job’
BY LARISA BROWN FOR THE DAILY MAIL
Jeremy Corbyn savaged Lib Dem leader Jo Swinson yesterday after she rejected his plan to lead an emergency government to block a No Deal Brexit.
Miss Swinson had claimed he was not the right politician for the job, saying Tory grandee Ken Clarke and senior Labour MP Harriet Harman would be a better fit.
But Mr Corbyn hit back, saying: ‘It’s not up to Jo Swinson to choose candidates, it’s not up to Jo Swinson to decide who the next Prime Minister is going to be.
‘Surely she must recognise she is a leader of one of the opposition parties who are apparently opposed to this Government, and apparently prepared to support a motion of no confidence.
Jeremy Corbyn savaged Lib Dem leader Jo Swinson yesterday after she rejected his plan to lead an emergency government to block a No Deal Brexit
‘I look forward to joining her in the lobbies to vote this Government down.’ On Friday Miss Swinson said she had spoken to Mr Clarke and Miss Harman and had won their assurances they were ready to ‘put public duty first’ to ‘stop us driving off that cliff’.
Mr Clarke then said publicly he would be up for leading a government of national unity.
She told Radio 4’s Today programme: ‘They put public duty first… if the House of Commons asks them to lead an emergency government to get our country out of this Brexit mess and to stop us driving off that cliff to a No Deal, then yes, they are prepared to do that and I think that is to their credit.’
Asked by the BBC if he would back Miss Harman or Mr Clarke, Mr Corbyn said: ‘We are putting forward the Labour position and I am the leader of the Labour Party to do just that.’
The BBC has reported that Mr Corbyn was ‘open to’ using legislation to prevent a No Deal Brexit if his plan to overthrow the Government in a vote of no confidence fails.
Miss Swinson had claimed he was not the right politician for the job, saying senior Labour MP Harriet Harman would be better
He is understood to have had a discussion with the SNP on Friday over passing a law to extend Article 50, which would delay leaving the EU.
With Mr Corbyn’s plan winning the potential backing of the SNP, and senior Remain-supporting Tories Dominic Grieve and Sir Oliver Letwin agreeing to meet the Labour leader, Miss Swinson was under increasing pressure to back Mr Corbyn’s plan to force out Boris Johnson in a vote of no confidence and securing a Brexit extension.
SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon was among those applying pressure to Miss Swinson to rethink her position.
And the Labour mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, wrote to Miss Swinson to urge her to reconsider Mr Corbyn’s offer.
In the letter, seen by The Guardian, he said: ‘The Liberal Democrats’ continued insistence Jeremy Corbyn could not lead this potential unity government is now the single biggest obstacle to stopping No Deal.’
- Jeremy Corbyn is not strong enough to handle a crisis as Prime Minister, according to a poll. Nearly half think he is indecisive, the Deltapoll survey for the Evening Standard found, while just 28 per cent said he has the ‘character to handle a crisis’.
Plotting, rebels and the Queen: What IS next?
BY JOHN STEVENS DEPUTY POLITICAL EDITOR FOR THE DAILY MAIL
WHAT ARE THE REBELS PLANNING?
MPs opposed to a No Deal Brexit want to stop Boris Johnson going through with his pledge to take the country out of the EU on October 31, come what may.
One option they are considering is trying to pass a law that forces the Prime Minister to instead seek another delay.
But rebels believe their ultimate weapon would be to bring down Mr Johnson’s Government through a no-confidence vote in the Commons.
WHEN WOULD A NO CONFIDENCE VOTE BE?
Jeremy Corbyn has vowed to table a vote but has not yet revealed when, saying that he will wait until he thinks he has most chance of succeeding.
When MPs return to Westminster on September 3 following the summer recess, there will only be 58 days left until the UK is due to leave the EU – so time will be of the essence.
However, Mr Corbyn may wait until it is clear there is no prospect of a late climbdown by the EU, and that Britain is heading for a No Deal departure.
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?
In a no-confidence vote, MPs have their say on whether they want the Government to continue.
If a majority do, then Boris Johnson will carry on. If he loses, the Commons has 14 days to find an alternative administration.
Rebel MPs want to install a new prime minister who will stop Brexit happening on October 31 and seek an extension to Article 50 – but they disagree on whether Mr Corbyn should take over or if there should be a ‘government of national unity’ led by someone else, such as Harriet Harman or Ken Clarke.
COULD THE QUEEN GET INVOLVED?
The law governing this process – the Fixed-term Parliaments Act – was only passed in 2011, so the country would be in unchartered waters.
If a majority of MPs supported a new government, Mr Johnson would be expected to go the Queen, tender his resignation and advise her on who she should appoint as his successor. But it has been suggested that he could refuse to step down. This would drag the Queen into the row because, as a last resort, she can dismiss him.
WILL THERE BE AN ELECTION?
If a new government is not formed during the 14-day period there will be a general election. There must be five weeks’ notice before a vote, but the Prime Minister would set the exact date.
If Mr Johnson loses a no-confidence vote, it has been suggested that an election could be scheduled for after October 31 – meaning Brexit goes ahead anyway.
Some constitutional experts say that if Brexit happens during an election campaign, a new government might be able to find a way to reverse it.