This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/politics/live/2019/jun/26/tory-leadership-latest-news-boris-johnson-liam-fox-accuses-johnson-of-peddling-supposition-not-fact-on-brexit-trade-options-live-news
The article has changed 11 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 7 | Version 8 |
|---|---|
| Tory party gripped by 'collective madness' over no-deal Brexit, says former minister - live news | |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Arlene Foster, the DUP leader, has said the UK should leave the EU by 31 October. As Sky’s Kate McCann report, Foster made the comments, which support Boris Johnson’s Brexit stance, not Jeremy Hunt’s, at an event at lunchtime. | |
| DUP’s Arlene Foster says it is “very important” that the UK leaves the EU on 31 October (Boris Johnson’s Brexit plan) but refuses to back him outright and says she has a good relationship with both Mr Johnson and Jeremy Hunt. | |
| “I don’t think we should go for any more extensions” Arlene Foster says, which is what Jeremy Hunt is proposing if he believes a deal is in sight. She won’t get into whether DUP would refuse to support a leader who backed an extension though... | |
| And on a campaign visit earlier, Jeremy Hunt accused Boris Johnson of making a promise, to deliver Brexit by 31 October, that he was unlikely to keep. He said: | And on a campaign visit earlier, Jeremy Hunt accused Boris Johnson of making a promise, to deliver Brexit by 31 October, that he was unlikely to keep. He said: |
| You should only, if you want to be prime minister, make promises you can actually deliver and my concern about that fixed date is that we know parliament will try and stop a no-deal Brexit and then you could end up tripping into a general election, that puts Corbyn in Downing Street and there’ll be no Brexit at all. | You should only, if you want to be prime minister, make promises you can actually deliver and my concern about that fixed date is that we know parliament will try and stop a no-deal Brexit and then you could end up tripping into a general election, that puts Corbyn in Downing Street and there’ll be no Brexit at all. |
| I’m the person who’s far, far more likely to deliver Brexit by October 31 because I can negotiate a deal with the European Union and that’s what I’m going to do. | I’m the person who’s far, far more likely to deliver Brexit by October 31 because I can negotiate a deal with the European Union and that’s what I’m going to do. |
| Yesterday Boris Johnson revealed his secret model bus-making habit. Today, in an interview with Radio 2’s Jeremy Vine, Jeremy Hunt, Johnson’s rival for the Tory leadership, spoke about his passion for the lambada. He told the programme: | Yesterday Boris Johnson revealed his secret model bus-making habit. Today, in an interview with Radio 2’s Jeremy Vine, Jeremy Hunt, Johnson’s rival for the Tory leadership, spoke about his passion for the lambada. He told the programme: |
| When I was elected as an MP in 2005 my big passion was lambada dancing, I have a lot of Brazilian friends, I used to go to the carnival in Brazil. This just brings back some happy memories. This is a dance for single people and quite an intimate dance so perhaps not one for the married listeners. | When I was elected as an MP in 2005 my big passion was lambada dancing, I have a lot of Brazilian friends, I used to go to the carnival in Brazil. This just brings back some happy memories. This is a dance for single people and quite an intimate dance so perhaps not one for the married listeners. |
| Earlier this government the Welsh government switched its position on Brexit and committed itself to firmly arguing for a referendum and for the UK to remain in the EU. Originally it had argued for a soft Brexit, to honour the referendum result. But it switched to backing remain because it concluded that a soft Brexit was not an option. | Earlier this government the Welsh government switched its position on Brexit and committed itself to firmly arguing for a referendum and for the UK to remain in the EU. Originally it had argued for a soft Brexit, to honour the referendum result. But it switched to backing remain because it concluded that a soft Brexit was not an option. |
| The Scottish government is also arguing for remain. But what makes the Welsh government decision potentially significant is that the Welsh government is run by Labour, meaning that its new position increases the pressure on Jeremy Corbyn to commit the party to backing remain in a future referendum. | The Scottish government is also arguing for remain. But what makes the Welsh government decision potentially significant is that the Welsh government is run by Labour, meaning that its new position increases the pressure on Jeremy Corbyn to commit the party to backing remain in a future referendum. |
| Mark Drakeford, the Welsh first minister, has written an open letter to all Welsh MPs urging them to back a second referendum. He says his government is backing remain because, with the Tory leadership election, the UK is now “almost certainly facing a straight choice between a no-deal and remain in the EU”. | Mark Drakeford, the Welsh first minister, has written an open letter to all Welsh MPs urging them to back a second referendum. He says his government is backing remain because, with the Tory leadership election, the UK is now “almost certainly facing a straight choice between a no-deal and remain in the EU”. |
| We cannot afford the economic damage being done every single day as a result of Brexit uncertainty – I’ve written to Welsh MPs to urge them to continue to take action to block a no deal & to force UK Gov to bring forward a referendum bill by 31st July. pic.twitter.com/F8wMiqoEc1 | We cannot afford the economic damage being done every single day as a result of Brexit uncertainty – I’ve written to Welsh MPs to urge them to continue to take action to block a no deal & to force UK Gov to bring forward a referendum bill by 31st July. pic.twitter.com/F8wMiqoEc1 |
| Crashing out of the UK at Halloween could result in a “flurry of profit warnings” from publicly listed companies in November, MPs have been warned. As my colleague Lisa O’Carroll reports, the Institute for Chartered Accountants for England and Wales (ICAEW) told MPs that this could have a “systemic” impact on the confidence in the British economy. | Crashing out of the UK at Halloween could result in a “flurry of profit warnings” from publicly listed companies in November, MPs have been warned. As my colleague Lisa O’Carroll reports, the Institute for Chartered Accountants for England and Wales (ICAEW) told MPs that this could have a “systemic” impact on the confidence in the British economy. |
| No-deal Brexit could trigger flurry of profit warnings, say accountants | No-deal Brexit could trigger flurry of profit warnings, say accountants |
| Are there enough Tory MPs willing to vote down their own government in a no confidence debate to stop a no-deal Brexit? With Boris Johnson likely to become prime minister, and his Brexit strategy making no-deal looking ever more probable, it is one of the key questions of the day. But the answer is not obvious, partly because some Conservative pro-Europeans are not very clear about their intentions on this point. (For example, this morning Rory Stewart was saying he would not vote to bring down a Tory government, but two weeks ago he was saying he would “bring down” Johnson if Johnson tried to prorogue parliament to facilitate no-deal.) | Are there enough Tory MPs willing to vote down their own government in a no confidence debate to stop a no-deal Brexit? With Boris Johnson likely to become prime minister, and his Brexit strategy making no-deal looking ever more probable, it is one of the key questions of the day. But the answer is not obvious, partly because some Conservative pro-Europeans are not very clear about their intentions on this point. (For example, this morning Rory Stewart was saying he would not vote to bring down a Tory government, but two weeks ago he was saying he would “bring down” Johnson if Johnson tried to prorogue parliament to facilitate no-deal.) |
| In an interview on the World at One Phillip Lee, the former minister who resigned last year to back a rebel amendment giving parliament more say over Brexit, explained his thinking on this issue as a leading Tory pro-European. He said he and his colleagues needed to threaten to bring down the government - but that he did not expect it to happen. Here are his main points. | In an interview on the World at One Phillip Lee, the former minister who resigned last year to back a rebel amendment giving parliament more say over Brexit, explained his thinking on this issue as a leading Tory pro-European. He said he and his colleagues needed to threaten to bring down the government - but that he did not expect it to happen. Here are his main points. |
| Lee said that Tory pro-Europeans like himself had to be as “ruthless” as the European Research Group (or ERG, the pro-Brexit Tory caucus) and that that was why they had to keep open the option of voting against the government on a no confidence motion to prevent a no-deal Brexit. He said: | Lee said that Tory pro-Europeans like himself had to be as “ruthless” as the European Research Group (or ERG, the pro-Brexit Tory caucus) and that that was why they had to keep open the option of voting against the government on a no confidence motion to prevent a no-deal Brexit. He said: |
| Nobody wants to vote no confidence in the government, nobody seeks to do that ... But ultimately if we believe truly that no-deal is unacceptable without the explicit consent of the public, then we have to leave everything on the table ... | Nobody wants to vote no confidence in the government, nobody seeks to do that ... But ultimately if we believe truly that no-deal is unacceptable without the explicit consent of the public, then we have to leave everything on the table ... |
| I’ve watched as the ERG have essentially won through here, and have dictated terms, and they have done this, successfully I might add, by being ruthless and having a clear strategy throughout. And it’s about time those of us who hold the belief that a no-deal on these terms is an unacceptable thing to be contemplating, that we also adopt exactly the same approach that the ERG have successfully undertaken in the last 12 months. | I’ve watched as the ERG have essentially won through here, and have dictated terms, and they have done this, successfully I might add, by being ruthless and having a clear strategy throughout. And it’s about time those of us who hold the belief that a no-deal on these terms is an unacceptable thing to be contemplating, that we also adopt exactly the same approach that the ERG have successfully undertaken in the last 12 months. |
| He said that there was a “collective madness” in the Conservative party with people thinking a no-deal Brexit would be acceptable. He said: | He said that there was a “collective madness” in the Conservative party with people thinking a no-deal Brexit would be acceptable. He said: |
| If somebody says to me ‘Do I want to vote no confidence in the government’, of course I don’t. I’m a Conservative, have been so for over 27 years. But I look on at this and I think there is a collective madness out there at the moment, in thinking that no-deal, and delivering it in this way, is acceptable, politically deliverable, and in the interests, socially and economically and geopolitically of my country - I’m sorry, I don’t see that. | If somebody says to me ‘Do I want to vote no confidence in the government’, of course I don’t. I’m a Conservative, have been so for over 27 years. But I look on at this and I think there is a collective madness out there at the moment, in thinking that no-deal, and delivering it in this way, is acceptable, politically deliverable, and in the interests, socially and economically and geopolitically of my country - I’m sorry, I don’t see that. |
| He said he did not accept the idea that a no confidence vote would automatically lead to Jeremy Corbyn becoming prime minister. Another alternative might be some sort of government of national unity, headed by a backbencher, he said. But he said he was not aware of any conversations about a possible government of national unity taking place. | He said he did not accept the idea that a no confidence vote would automatically lead to Jeremy Corbyn becoming prime minister. Another alternative might be some sort of government of national unity, headed by a backbencher, he said. But he said he was not aware of any conversations about a possible government of national unity taking place. |
| He also said that there were other parliamentary options, besides a vote of no confidence, that could be used to stop a new prime minister going for no-deal. | He also said that there were other parliamentary options, besides a vote of no confidence, that could be used to stop a new prime minister going for no-deal. |
| He said that, because of the parliamentary opposition, he was “confident” the next Conservative leader would concluded that a no-deal Brexit was “just not deliverable”. Instead the new leader would conclude the only options were a referendum, a general election or revoking article 50, Lee said. | He said that, because of the parliamentary opposition, he was “confident” the next Conservative leader would concluded that a no-deal Brexit was “just not deliverable”. Instead the new leader would conclude the only options were a referendum, a general election or revoking article 50, Lee said. |
| Here are some tweets from the post-PMQs Labour party briefing. | Here are some tweets from the post-PMQs Labour party briefing. |
| Jeremy Corbyn’s spokesman says Labour will alight on “a common position that people can row behind,” on Brexit, “in the next few weeks”. And hits back against Margaret Beckett’s comments about “aides” this morning: “Jeremy has his own views and takes his own decisions”. | Jeremy Corbyn’s spokesman says Labour will alight on “a common position that people can row behind,” on Brexit, “in the next few weeks”. And hits back against Margaret Beckett’s comments about “aides” this morning: “Jeremy has his own views and takes his own decisions”. |
| During a post pmqs grilling of labour spokesperson by the lobby, one Labour staff member turns to another and says “this is so boring” as we try to nail down Corbyn’s Brexit position. | During a post pmqs grilling of labour spokesperson by the lobby, one Labour staff member turns to another and says “this is so boring” as we try to nail down Corbyn’s Brexit position. |
| Apparently @uklabour's #brexit policy will be clarified in a matter of weeks, says a spokesman following consultation with unions, MPs, the ruling NEC to find 'a common position' And @jeremycorbyn took the lead after the Euros to say there should be a referendum on any deal | Apparently @uklabour's #brexit policy will be clarified in a matter of weeks, says a spokesman following consultation with unions, MPs, the ruling NEC to find 'a common position' And @jeremycorbyn took the lead after the Euros to say there should be a referendum on any deal |
| This is what Ian Blackford, the SNP leader at Westminster, said about Boris Johnson at PMQs. | This is what Ian Blackford, the SNP leader at Westminster, said about Boris Johnson at PMQs. |
| On the one hand the Tories are asking people to put their faith in the most incompetent foreign secretary in a century, a man who has made a career out of lying, who has spent this week avoiding the media, staging photos and playing to the extreme delusions of the Tory shires. | On the one hand the Tories are asking people to put their faith in the most incompetent foreign secretary in a century, a man who has made a career out of lying, who has spent this week avoiding the media, staging photos and playing to the extreme delusions of the Tory shires. |
| Blackford also criticised Jeremy Hunt, calling him “the most incompetent health secretary in our history”, but it was what he said about Johnson that infuriated Tory MPs because Commons rules normally stop MPs accusing each other directly of lying. | Blackford also criticised Jeremy Hunt, calling him “the most incompetent health secretary in our history”, but it was what he said about Johnson that infuriated Tory MPs because Commons rules normally stop MPs accusing each other directly of lying. |
| Frankly, does anyone care? Over the last year PMQs has become increasingly low-voltage; not irrelevant, because important issues are still being raised and debated, but it now longer feels like the forum where the great political conflicts of the day are being settled. And now that Theresa May is effectively working her notice the problem has intensified. Jeremy Corbyn chose to ask her about arms sales to Saudi Arabia, a cause he cares about passionately, and while it was good to see the topic get an airing (Corbyn did manage to make May squirm reasonably successfully, although she hit back very firmly in her final answer), it still felt like displacement activity, because he was ignoring the great crisis facing the country. The SNP’s Ian Blackford is always much more comfortable raising Brexit and for the second week in a row he used PMQs to engage in Boris Johnson character assassination. But without Johnson there to respond, it was like arm wrestling without an opponent. Still, only four more of these to go, and then come September, when the new PM is due at the despatch box for the first time, it might all liven up again. | Frankly, does anyone care? Over the last year PMQs has become increasingly low-voltage; not irrelevant, because important issues are still being raised and debated, but it now longer feels like the forum where the great political conflicts of the day are being settled. And now that Theresa May is effectively working her notice the problem has intensified. Jeremy Corbyn chose to ask her about arms sales to Saudi Arabia, a cause he cares about passionately, and while it was good to see the topic get an airing (Corbyn did manage to make May squirm reasonably successfully, although she hit back very firmly in her final answer), it still felt like displacement activity, because he was ignoring the great crisis facing the country. The SNP’s Ian Blackford is always much more comfortable raising Brexit and for the second week in a row he used PMQs to engage in Boris Johnson character assassination. But without Johnson there to respond, it was like arm wrestling without an opponent. Still, only four more of these to go, and then come September, when the new PM is due at the despatch box for the first time, it might all liven up again. |
| In response to a point of order about why he did not ask Ian Blackford to withdraw what he said about Boris Johnson making a career out of lying, John Bercow, the Speaker, says he did not hear a specific allegation of dishonesty. (See 12.25pm.) He says what he did hear was distasteful, but he did not judge it disorderly. | In response to a point of order about why he did not ask Ian Blackford to withdraw what he said about Boris Johnson making a career out of lying, John Bercow, the Speaker, says he did not hear a specific allegation of dishonesty. (See 12.25pm.) He says what he did hear was distasteful, but he did not judge it disorderly. |