(Bloomberg) — Boris Johnson canceled a cross-examination session by senior Members of Parliament as speculation mounted the prime minister will try again to force a general election to break the Brexit deadlock. He is still waiting for the European Union’s response to his letter seeking a divorce delay to Jan. 31, and rejected opposition Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn’s timetable proposal to get his Brexit deal though the House of Commons.
Brexit Secretary Stephen Barclay contradicted the prime minister’s claim on Wednesday that there would be “no checks” on the Irish border after Brexit, conceding their would be some “targeted interventions.”
Key Developments:
House of Commons leader Jacob Rees-Mogg announces next week’s business in statement at about 11:30 a.m.MPs continue debate on government’s legislative agenda, known as the Queen’s Speech, with a vote expected at about 5 p.m.Liberal Democrats propose amendment to Queen’s Speech calling for a second referendum on BrexitLabour’s business spokeswoman Rebecca Long-Bailey says party will back a general election once the EU has granted a Brexit extensionBrexit and the Art of Heresthetics: John AuthersBrexit Twists Point to Election. Here’s How It Works: QuickTake
Will Johnson Have to Appoint a Commissioner? (11:10 a.m.)
In what might prove an embarrassing complication for Boris Johnson, European Commission president-elect Ursula Von der Leyen said at a press conference in Helsinki that if the U.K. is still in the EU after Nov. 1, “I would ask the U.K. to send in a commissioner.”
Meanwhile, the EU Parliament recommended the bloc should accept London’s request for a flexible extension until the end of January. The recommendation should be caveatted by the fact that the parliament has no formal say on whether the request will be accepted.
Dodds Warns Of Unrest Over Deal (11 a.m.)
Nigel Dodds, Westminster leader of the Democratic Unionist Party, warned Brexit Secretary Stephen Barclay that checks in the Irish Sea would disrupt the fragile political stability in Northern Ireland “by what you’re doing to the unionist community.”
“We’re really in danger here of causing real problems,” Dodds told the House of Commons. “We need to get our heads together and look at a way forward that can solve this problem.”
Veteran Brexiteer Tory Bill Cash backed Dodds and urged Barclay to listen to the DUP’s concerns.
Brexit Will Involve N. Ireland Checks: Barclay (10:45 p.m.)
Brexit Secretary Stephen Barclay conceded on Thursday that Boris Johnson’s Brexit deal will involve some checks on trade between Great Britain and Northern Ireland after the U.K. leaves the European Union — directly contradicting comments on Wednesday by the prime minister.
“There will be minimal targeted interventions designed to prevent, for example, trade in endangered species,” Barclay told the House of Commons. “We will work with the European Union to eliminate these limited processes as soon as possible.”
Johnson told the chamber less than 24 hours earlier that “there will be no checks between Northern Ireland and GB.” Barclay said Johnson was referring to the paperwork, which will be done digitally, rather than having physical checks.
The provisions on trade between Northern Ireland and Great Britain are at the heart of the disagreement between Johnson and his Conservative Party’s former allies in the Democratic Unionist Party, who have accused him of putting up a border in the Irish Sea.
Lib Dems Propose Referendum Amendment (Earlier)
The Liberal Democrats have proposed an amendment to the Queen’s Speech legislation due to be voted on in Parliament on Thursday that would add a second referendum on Brexit.
The amendment, which has little chance of passing and wouldn’t in any case force the government to accept, seeks to add a line that the government “should make arrangements for a people’s vote in which the public will have the choice between the latest withdrawal agreement and remaining in the European Union.”
Labour Will Back Election, Long-Bailey Says (Earlier)
Rebecca Long-Bailey, Labour’s business spokeswoman, said the party will back a general election once the EU has granted an extension to Brexit but said Boris Johnson should consider the party’s revised timetable to get a deal through Parliament.
Johnson rejected a proposal by party leader Jeremy Corbyn on Wednesday to allow more time to scrutinize his Withdrawal Agreement Bill during its passage through Parliament. Johnson lost a vote on his proposed accelerated timetable on Tuesday, throwing his Brexit plans into disarray.
“Jeremy Corbyn went to Boris Johnson and offered a realistic and pragmatic way forward, he said if you come back with a reasonable timeframe for us to be able to scrutinize this bill in Parliament we will work with you if you really want to deliver this bill,” Long-Bailey told BBC Radio 4. “If he goes straight to calling for a general election of course we’ll support a general election.”
Cleverly Doesn’t Rule Out Christmas Election (Earlier)
Conservative Chairman James Cleverly said his party is ready for a general election and it could come in the run up to Christmas to break the impasse over Brexit.
“I don’t want to be the Grinch, but the point is democracy is incredibly important,” Cleverly told BBC Radio. “We have been prevented from discharging the duty imposed upon us. We want to get on with governing.”
“We’ve been calling for a general election, me personally, the prime minister at the ballot box, my friends and colleagues all around the country, for months now,” Cleverly said. “The Labour Party are running scared and I can completely understand why, their Brexit message is confused at best.”
Earlier:
EU Keeps Boris Johnson Waiting Over Length of Brexit ExtensionBoris Johnson Waiting for Delay He Doesn’t Want: Brexit BulletinHow Businesses Are Preparing for Brexit, Deal or No DealU.K.’s Johnson Pulls Out of Parliamentary Scrutiny Hearing
To contact the reporters on this story: Thomas Penny in London at [email protected];Alex Morales in London at [email protected];Kati Pohjanpalo in Helsinki at [email protected]
To contact the editors responsible for this story: Tim Ross at [email protected], Stuart Biggs, Thomas Penny
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