(Bloomberg) — Boris Johnson is refusing to back down after sparking outrage over his attacks on opposition politicians who are trying to stop him forcing Britain out of the European Union with no deal. He has accused them of “surrender” to the EU and dismissed their concerns that his war-like language was fueling violence and division.
In a private meeting on Thursday, the prime minister told Tory MPs he would not be bullied into changing the way he speaks. He said he wants a deal, but an agreement with the EU is not close.
Key Developments:
Johnson says “Surrender Act” is fair description of new law banning no-deal BrexitBrexit minister James Duddridge insists Johnson will obey lawBrexit Secretary Stephen Barclay and Chief EU Negotiator Michel Barnier to meet in Brussels on FridayHere’s What Parliament Could Do Next to Stop a No-Deal Brexit
Johnson: Brexit Needed to ‘Lance the Boil’ (5:25 p.m.)
Boris Johnson once again denied accusations that his choice of language in the House of Commons is inciting threats against MPs, telling the BBC “it is important I should be able to talk about the surrender bill, the surrender act in the way that I did.”
The prime minister said he deplored the threats made to female MPs and that “tempers need to come down.”
Johnson recognized he will need to reach across the House of Commons to secure the votes for a Brexit deal and said it is a “reasonable anxiety” that his language might have deterred Labour MPs from backing one.
But he doubled down on his statements in Parliament that tensions would only dissipate once Brexit is resolved. “People need to come together because it’s only by getting Brexit done that you’ll lance the boil, as it were, of the current anxiety and we will be able to get on with the domestic agenda,” he said.
Opposition Parties Mull Tighter Anti No-Deal Law (4:50 p.m.)
Opposition party leaders meeting this afternoon discussed ways of tightening the anti no-deal Brexit law, which requires the prime minister to request a delay if he can’t get a deal by Oct. 19, according to a spokesman for the Liberal Democrats.
They talked about moving forward the date when Boris Johnson has to request an extension and agreed to meet again on Monday, he said.
There has been concern among opposition parties that their fragile alliance could fracture under the temptation to press for a general election before a no-deal Brexit is blocked. But the parties managed to hold together, according to two people familiar with the discussions.
They are concerned that the prime minister can’t be trusted not to break the law.
Belfast Court to Rule Friday on No-Deal Brexit (3:55 p.m.)
A Belfast appeals court will rule Friday on whether a no-deal Brexit would violate the Good Friday peace accord. A lower court on Sept. 12 said the debate over the peace agreement is a purely political matter and the issue shouldn’t be subject to a judicial review.
The case is separate from the landmark ruling handed down by the U.K. Supreme Court earlier this week, overturning Boris Johnson’s suspension of Parliament in the run up to the Oct. 31 Brexit deadline.
Raymond McCord, whose son was killed in the political violence that dogged Northern Ireland for decades, had brought the Belfast case, arguing that leaving the EU without a deal would breach the peace deal known as the Good Friday Agreement. EU membership facilitated an open border on the island of Ireland, and a no-deal exit could put that at risk.
Johnson Weighs Up Prorogation Options (3:45 p.m.)
Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s instinct is to suspend Parliament in order to have a Queen’s Speech, though no decision has yet been made, a government official said.
Before the Supreme Court ruling, the government planned to hold a Queen’s Speech on Oct. 14, and theoretically that still remains possible. One option is to prorogue on Oct. 10 with the speech on Oct. 14, the official said. Having it much later would risk a clash with the EU council meeting in Brussels starting Oct. 17.
Lib Dems Press Corbyn to Accept a Tory Interim PM (3 p.m.)
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn will meet leaders of other opposition parties in Parliament at 3:30 p.m. and, according to Liberal Democrat Brexit spokesman Tom Brake, his party will press Corbyn to accept that he can’t lead any interim government of national unity.
Instead, the Liberal Democrats have suggested veteran Tories Caroline Spelman or Ken Clarke as possibilities, hopeful they will command the support of a majority of MPs.
The party, which has 18 MPs in Parliament, also wants Labour to agree to bring forward the date by which Johnson must ask the EU for a Brexit extension.
Currently the prime minister must ask for an extension by Oct. 19 if no deal has been reached with the bloc. Concerned Johnson may refuse to honor the law and string the matter out in the courts (see 10 a.m.), the Liberal Democrats want to buy more time to avoid crashing out without an agreement.
Rees-Mogg Extends Olive Branch to Opposition (2:15 p.m.)
After MPs rejected a recess to allow for the Conservative Party conference (see 2:05 p.m.), Leader of the House of Commons Jacob Rees-Mogg listed the business Parliament will debate next week.
On Monday, MPs will discuss Northern Ireland legislation; on Tuesday a number of regulations will be debated, and on Wednesday they’ll have the second reading of the Domestic Abuse Bill.
The calendar of business is an olive branch to opposition parties, which had been suggesting they could debate relatively non-contentious legislation next week to coincide with the Tory conference. Wednesday’s business drew cheers from the opposition benches.
“So the domestic abuse bill is back,” Jess Phillips, a Labour MP who has pushed hard for the legislation, said on Twitter. “Thanks to all who supported.”
No Election Now Possible Before Nov. 5 (2:10 p.m.)
Speaker of the House of Commons John Bercow confirmed that, based on current rules, the soonest an election can now take place is Nov. 5 — after the Oct. 31 Brexit deadline.
He was asked to confirm the schedule by Labour’s justice spokesman Richard Burgon, who said the House of Commons Library had said if Parliament was dissolved next week the vote would fall after Halloween.
“I can confirm that my understanding of the electoral timetable under the existing statutory framework, is the same as his,” Bercow said, emphasizing it is true “under the existing statutory framework.”
Burgon told MPs that Labour “wants an election called as soon as possible, once an extension to avoid a no-deal Brexit has been agreed.”
MPs Vote to Block Tory Conference Recess (2:05 p.m.)
Members of Parliament voted to reject a short recess for the Conservative Party Conference in Manchester from Sept. 29 to Oct. 2. If they had accepted it, Parliament would have adjourned for a week starting today.
The vote is a break with convention as there’s traditionally a recess to allow for all the major parties to hold their annual conferences. The government defeat is a sign of the anger in Parliament at Boris Johnson for suspending Parliament earlier this month only to be told by the Supreme Court that he had acted unlawfully.
Johnson’s office said earlier that regardless of the vote, the conference will go ahead and the prime minister will address it.
More Anger at No Brexit Than No Deal: Official (1:40 p.m.)
A lot of MPs are trying to escape the consequences of the 2016 referendum result and find a way to avoid Brexit, a senior government official said.
But canceling Brexit would make people angrier than leaving the European Union without a deal, according to the person, who asked not to be named discussing government thinking. They added it would be a very serious problem if politicians chose to reverse the voters’ decision.
Boris Johnson is trying to extract the country from a cul-de-sac that former Prime Minister Theresa May took it into by trying to fudge everything on Brexit, according to the official. The government ideally wants to leave the EU with a deal, because that’s friendlier, they said.
The official acknowledged that there will be some problems with a no-deal Brexit, but that would be nothing compared to destroying confidence in basic democratic politics, which would be the result of reversing the referendum. They also reinforced the message that Johnson will take Britain out of the EU on Oct. 31, saying there won’t be any extension.
Johnson Realizes Difficulty of Getting Election (12:45 p.m.)
In the meeting with Tory MPs, Johnson suggested he realizes it will be difficult to get the election he wants before the Oct. 31 Brexit deadline. The opposition parties won’t agree to it.
But he said he will still seek an election even after that date, according to two people in the room. The ideal scenario now would be to go to the polls after he’s secured a deal with the EU — and after Britain has left the bloc on Oct. 31.
The premier cautioned that an agreement is not close, the people said.
Progress, But Deal Long Way Off, U.K. Says (11:50 a.m.)
The U.K. and EU have made progress in Brexit negotiations but a deal is a long way off, Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s spokesman told reporters in London. The Benn Act, which Parliament passed to prevent a no-deal Brexit on Oct. 31, is “bad legislation” that is undermining the government’s position in the talks, he said.
The two sides are discussing a non-permanent backstop to resolve the Irish border conundrum, based on the principle of “consent” in Northern Ireland, he told reporters.
The U.K. government has argued that Northern Ireland has to somehow approve, or “consent” to being tied closely to EU rules after Brexit. But it’s not a position that the EU or Ireland accept as it could give the Democratic Unionist Party, which is opposed to Northern Ireland being treated differently to the rest of the U.K., an effective veto in the future.
Slack also commented on the angry scenes in the House of Commons on Wednesday night, saying that Johnson has been “very clear” that it is “completely unacceptable” for MPs or others in public life to face threats.
Johnson Says He Won’t Be Bullied Over Language (11:45 a.m.)
Johnson addressed his Conservative MPs in Parliament, telling them he won’t be bullied into abandoning his strong language on plans to block a no-deal Brexit, according to two people who were in the room.
He condemned abuse and threats to female MPs but said he retained the right to use simple and effective words, the people said.
Commission Urges Respect in U.K. Parliament (11:30 a.m.)
The European Commission made clear it had been watching proceedings in the House of Commons, and is not impressed.
“We would remind everybody that respect is a fundamental value in all democracies,” Commission spokeswoman Mina Andreeva told reporters in Brussels. “It is the responsibility of each and every politician to uphold our values. History has shown us what happens when they are not respected.”
Andreeva reiterated that the EU is still waiting for the U.K to come up with “legally operational” alternatives to the backstop, and signaled the real deadline for the negotiations is next month’s summit.
Technical talks will continue tomorrow in Brussels, while the EU’s Brexit negotiation Michel Barnier will also meet Brexit Secretary Stephen Barclay on Friday.
EU Officials: Johnson Rhetoric Makes Deal Harder (11:05 a.m.)
The fiery scenes in the House of Commons on Wednesday night, including Johnson’s use of the word “surrender,” will make getting a deal more difficult, EU officials closely involved in the Brexit negotiations said.
The hostility and heightened rhetoric hasn’t gone unnoticed in Brussels, and Johnson’s failure to build bridges between government and Parliament is damaging talks between the U.K. and EU, the officials said, on condition of anonymity because the process is private. Wednesday’s tense debate followed the Supreme Court’s ruling that the prime minister’s suspension of Parliament was unlawful — a move which officials described as unsettling.
The EU is having to weigh up how far it should go in conceding to Johnson’s demands on the “backstop” for the Irish border, but officials said leaders were less likely to compromise if they thought there was little chance of consensus in Parliament.
With an EU summit beginning in three weeks, where Johnson is hoping to strike a deal, European officials are pessimistic about the chances of striking an agreement, saying that British proposals on the backstop have gone nowhere near far enough.
Johnson to Send Junior Minister to Answer for Him (11 a.m.)
Boris Johnson has been asked by Parliament to appear to answer concerns that his language is inflaming nationwide tensions. Instead of appearing himself, two people familiar with the matter said Johnson will send Kevin Foster — Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Wales and Assistant Government Whip, as well as being constitution minister — to answer questions.
The appearance of one of the most junior members of the government to speak for the prime minister is likely to do little to assuage tensions in the House of Commons after a particularly poisonous sitting on Wednesday.
Tory Turns on Johnson Over Law (10 a.m.)
Simon Hoare, a member of Parliament from Boris Johnson’s Conservative Party, said there needs to be a change in the tone from the prime minister’s office over whether or not he will obey the law.
“It comes to a very bad place in politics when a Tory government’s adherence to the law comes into question and is in doubt,” Hoare told the House of Commons. “There needs to be a change in the mood music coming from Number 10 because, as a Tory Party, we obey the rule of law and the fact that is a question in this place should bring shame on all of us.”
In answer to another question about whether the law will be obeyed, Brexit minister James Duddridge said “if we don’t get that deal, we will obey the law as it stands at the time.”
Deal Within Reach, Minister Says (9:40 a.m.)
James Duddridge, a Brexit minister, told MPs in the House of Commons that a deal with the EU “is possible and is now within reach.”
“The government will obey the law, this has always been the case,” he said when asked if the government would follow the strictures of the Act of Parliament which requires Johnson to request a delay from the EU if an agreement isn’t reached by Oct. 19.
“This government will not indulge in defeatism,” Duddridge said. “The outcome this government wants, the outcome this government has always wanted is a deal with the EU.”
On Wednesday Johnson said “no” when asked if he would request a delay from the EU if he couldn’t get a deal.
Keir Starmer, Brexit spokesman for the opposition Labour Party, said if the prime minister doesn’t obey the law, and tries to force the U.K. out of the bloc without a deal on Oct. 31, it will be fought in the courts and blocked by further action in Parliament.
Cleverly Says Both Sides At Fault (8:15 a.m.)
Conservative Party Chairman James Cleverly said the mood in Parliament is the worst he’s seen, and tried to turn the tables by listing examples of opposition MPs using violent language about Boris Johnson.
“There has been language used right across this debate which I think is deeply uncomfortable,” Cleverly told BBC radio on Thursday. “The temper in the House is unlike anything I’ve seen in my time, and it is deeply uncomfortable. We’ve seen language and accusations flung around.”
Cleverly added that the “this can be de-escalated, tempers can be taken out of this,” but he doesn’t expect tensions to calm until Brexit has been resolved.
Asked whether Johnson will heed legislation to force him to seek to delay Brexit if he can’t get a deal approved, Cleverly said the government “will obey the law” but still emphasized it would take the U.K. out of the European Union on Oct. 31. He didn’t say how that might be possible.
Abbott Says Chance of Labour Support ‘Over’ (7:50 a.m.)
Diane Abbott, home affairs spokeswoman for the opposition Labour Party, said any prospect of some of her party’s politicians backing a deal that Johnson brings back from the European Union is “over” after the prime minister’s performance on Wednesday night.
“I’ve heard from and seen comments from MPs who might have wanted to have considered a Boris Johnson deal and that’s over,” Abbott told BBC Radio.
She said Johnson’s “adversarial, military language” was “not befitting the prime minister.”
Soames Appalled at Johnson’s Behavior (7:20 a.m.)
Nicholas Soames, Winston Churchill’s grandson who was expelled from the Parliamentary Conservative Party for voting to block a no-deal Brexit, said he was “absolutely appalled by the whole language and tone’’ of the House of Commons.
“The job of the prime minister, even under difficult circumstances, is to try and bring the House together and what the prime minister did was drive it further apart,’’ Soames told BBC radio. “The prime minister is taking some very, very bad advice.’’
“I’ve never felt such a poisonous atmosphere and I deeply regret it,’’ Soames said. “This language that’s being used is doing so much damage to our democracy.’’
Cox Widower Urges Moderate Language (7:10 a.m.)
Brendan Cox, the widower of murdered Labour lawmaker Jo Cox, appealed for all sides to moderate their language in the Brexit debate after Boris Johnson claimed that the best way to honor his dead wife’s memory would be to deliver Brexit.
Jo Cox, a fervent pro-European, was killed during the 2016 Brexit referendum campaign by a far-right extremist. Her memory was invoked by women Labour MP’s in the House of Commons on Wednesday night when they pleaded with Johnson to stop accusing opponents of “surrender” and betraying the referendum result, because they had seen that language in death threats against them.
Johnson dismissed their concerns as “humbug,” adding that “the best way to ensure that every parliamentarian is properly safe, and we dial down the current anxiety in this country, is to get Brexit done.”
“I was shocked by the willingness to descend to vitriol and the type of language that was used. I think it does long-lasting harm,” Cox told the BBC. “These words we throw across in rhetoric can have real world consequences.”
Labour Frontbencher Quits to Back Remain (Earlier)
Matthew Pennycook, a Brexit spokesman for the opposition Labour Party in the House of Commons, quit leader Jeremy Corbyn’s team of shadow ministers on Wednesday evening, saying he wants to campaign for the U.K. to stay in the European Union.
In his resignation letter, Pennycook said that while he welcomed the party’s decision to promise a referendum in the next election, “I now want the opportunity to focus my efforts on campaigning vigorously for that public vote and unequivocally for the U.K. to stay in the EU when it is secured.”
The Labour Party voted to adopt a wait-and-see policy at its conference on Monday, promising to negotiate with the EU and offer the public the choice of whether to accept that deal or stay in the bloc. But it rejected a motion that would have seen it back Remain, opting instead to hold a special conference after a new deal with the EU is agreed to decide its position.
Earlier:
Boris Johnson Comes Out Fighting and Demands a Brexit ElectionHere’s What Parliament Could Do Next to Stop a No-Deal BrexitBrexit Can Get Much More Toxic From Here: Lionel Laurent
–With assistance from Nikos Chrysoloras, Thomas Penny, Ian Wishart and Anthony Aarons.
To contact the reporters on this story: Kitty Donaldson in London at [email protected];Alex Morales in London at [email protected];Jessica Shankleman in London at [email protected]
To contact the editors responsible for this story: Tim Ross at [email protected], Stuart Biggs, Thomas Penny
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