Many of the Tory rebels sacked from the party for voting to block a no-deal
Brexit will not support any attempt to accelerate laws which will force
Boris Johnson to seek an Article 50 extension, HuffPost
UK understands.
Opposition parties were on Monday discussing plans to tighten up laws designed to block a no-deal Brexit on October 31 by forcing the prime minister to ask for a Brexit delay as early as this weekend.
Acting alongside Tory rebels, they have already passed the so-called Benn Act, which gives the prime minister until October 19 to get a deal agreed with the EU and MPs, or be forced to request an Article 50 extension.
But some on the opposition side worry this will not leave enough time to take action through the courts if Johnson tries to sidestep the Benn legislation.
Labour leader
Jeremy Corbyn will host opposition parties in his office this afternoon to discuss Liberal Democrat leader Jo Swinson’s proposals to pass laws forcing Johnson to request an Article 50 extension by the weekend.
The SNP has already signalled its backing for the Swinson plan, while
Labour said it was “looking at” proposals to ensure the PM complies with the Benn act.
But HuffPost UK understands that they will not get the support of many of the Tory rebels who helped pass the Benn bill in the first place and were punished by having the party whip removed.
At least around 16-18 of the rebels want to give Johnson the chance to go to the October 17-18 European Council summit and negotiate a new withdrawal agreement, although they are pessimistic about his chances of doing so.
If they were to vote against any opposition attempt to force an early Brexit delay, it could wipe out any majority for the Swinson plan. It could however still pass if they abstained.
The opposition parties will meet as the Tories hold their party conference in Manchester.
Backbenchers and those without important speeches or events have been slipped from the conference by party whips and told to be available for parliamentary votes to head off any attempted opposition ambush.
Solicitor General Michael Ellis meanwhile told a conference fringe event that he was on “red standby” to dash back to Westminster, warning attendees he could “dematerialise” from the conference at any moment.
It came as one of the Tory rebels, former justice secretary David Gauke, said he was convinced that
Britain would not leave the EU on October 31.
Writing for Conservative Home, Gauke said the Benn Act was “very clear” and doubted suggestions that the PM might find a way to circumvent it and push through a no-deal Brexit by October 31.
Gauke wrote: “In the course of this week, ministers will be repeatedly asked what will happen. Will the government abide by the law? Yes, of course. Will the government seek an extension? No.
“The answers to these questions are mutually incompatible.
“The government will seek to get away with this contradiction by hinting that there is a cunning plan, a secret flaw that only it knows about, something that only a strategic genius – who could turn his mind to legal matters as and when necessary – would be able to identify.
“Pin your hopes on that if you like, but my money would be on the UK being members of the EU on November 1.”Related... Opposition Leaders Will Meet Today To Plot How To Stop PM's Potential No-Deal Brexit Justice Secretary Robert Buckland Warns No.10 'My Word Is Law' Not 'Unaccountable' Officials Justine Greening, Former Tory Cabinet Minister: Allegations Against Boris Johnson 'Deeply Concerning'