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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/aug/11/heseltine-imposing-no-deal-brexit-intolerable-attack-on-democracy
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| Version 3 | Version 4 |
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| Heseltine: imposing no-deal Brexit 'intolerable' attack on democracy | Heseltine: imposing no-deal Brexit 'intolerable' attack on democracy |
| (17 days later) | |
| The Conservatives will lose significant votes to the Liberal Democrats or other remain parties if they force through a no-deal Brexit against the will of parliament, the party stalwart Michael Heseltine has warned. | The Conservatives will lose significant votes to the Liberal Democrats or other remain parties if they force through a no-deal Brexit against the will of parliament, the party stalwart Michael Heseltine has warned. |
| Imposing a no-deal departure without MPs’ consent would be “an intolerable position for democracy”, said the former deputy prime minister, who is heavily critical of Dominic Cummings, Boris Johnson’s lead adviser and Brexit enforcer. | Imposing a no-deal departure without MPs’ consent would be “an intolerable position for democracy”, said the former deputy prime minister, who is heavily critical of Dominic Cummings, Boris Johnson’s lead adviser and Brexit enforcer. |
| “It is absolutely central that parliament should be able to call to account people who represent them as ministers, and at the moment we’re being told by a particular figure, who’s proud of it, that he’s more or less running the show,” Lord Heseltine said on Sky’s Sophy Ridge on Sunday show. | “It is absolutely central that parliament should be able to call to account people who represent them as ministers, and at the moment we’re being told by a particular figure, who’s proud of it, that he’s more or less running the show,” Lord Heseltine said on Sky’s Sophy Ridge on Sunday show. |
| Cross-party schemes drawn up to prevent a Johnson no-deal Brexit | Cross-party schemes drawn up to prevent a Johnson no-deal Brexit |
| In response, the policing minister, Kit Malthouse, a longtime Johnson ally, accused Heseltine of being among Conservative figures from the past who had “never quite reconciled themselves to the idea” of Brexit. | In response, the policing minister, Kit Malthouse, a longtime Johnson ally, accused Heseltine of being among Conservative figures from the past who had “never quite reconciled themselves to the idea” of Brexit. |
| Heseltine, whose near-30 year frontbench career culminated in him serving as deputy prime minister under John Major, has been a persistent critic of Brexit. He lost the Conservative whip after saying he had voted Lib Dem in the European elections in May. | Heseltine, whose near-30 year frontbench career culminated in him serving as deputy prime minister under John Major, has been a persistent critic of Brexit. He lost the Conservative whip after saying he had voted Lib Dem in the European elections in May. |
| In a joint comment piece in the Sunday Times with the crossbench peer Betty Boothroyd, a former Labour MP, Heseltine argued a no-deal departure would be a “grotesque act of national self-harm”. | In a joint comment piece in the Sunday Times with the crossbench peer Betty Boothroyd, a former Labour MP, Heseltine argued a no-deal departure would be a “grotesque act of national self-harm”. |
| Speaking to Ridge, he pointed to new polling which shows the government could lose a series of seats to the Lib Dems in an election. | Speaking to Ridge, he pointed to new polling which shows the government could lose a series of seats to the Lib Dems in an election. |
| “I can tell you that large numbers of Conservatives will not vote for a no-deal Brexit. They will vote for whatever party appears to stand behind a European policy,” he said. | “I can tell you that large numbers of Conservatives will not vote for a no-deal Brexit. They will vote for whatever party appears to stand behind a European policy,” he said. |
| “Large numbers of Conservatives, friends of mine, colleagues of mine, approach me every day asserting the fact that they will vote for Britain’s national self-interest, despite the loyalty they feel to the Conservative party.” | “Large numbers of Conservatives, friends of mine, colleagues of mine, approach me every day asserting the fact that they will vote for Britain’s national self-interest, despite the loyalty they feel to the Conservative party.” |
| The date on which the Commons returns from summer recess. | |
| Sajid Javid is expected to start a fast-tracked spending review, promising a cash boost for schools, hospitals and policing. The swift timing of the review comes after his first major speech by the chancellor was abruptly cancelled by the Treasury with less than 24 hours’ notice. | |
| Prime minister Boris Johnson has asked the Queen to prorogue parliament during this week. MPs were due to have a recess period anyway for the party conference season. However, proroguing parliament will severely limit the time MPs have to legislate against no deal or hold and win a vote of no confidence in the government. | |
| The Labour and Conservative party conferences are due to be held on consecutive weeks. | The Labour and Conservative party conferences are due to be held on consecutive weeks. |
| This is the date that Johnson is proposing parliament returns for the Queen’s speech setting out a legislation programme for his government. | |
| EU leaders meet for the final European council summit before the UK's extension is due to expire. They could possibly agree a new deal at this point - with just about enough time for Johnson to try and get it through parliament. | |
| The six-month article 50 extension will expire, and prime minister Boris Johnson has pledged that the UK will leave the EU with or without a deal on that date. | |
| A possible date for a general election if Johnson has been unable to force through his plans, although the date could be sooner if an election is called as a result of the parliamentary showdown between the prime minister and MPs opposed to a no-deal Brexitin early September. | |
| Heseltine was similarly scathing about Johnson’s government, and Cummings’ central and increasingly publicised role in it. | Heseltine was similarly scathing about Johnson’s government, and Cummings’ central and increasingly publicised role in it. |
| “The economy is stalled, inflation is rising and the pound is in serious difficulties and threatens to get worse, investment is on hold,” he said. “There is an atmosphere of total indecision and ineffectiveness at the heart of government. Because, let’s be frank, there is no parliamentary majority for what this government is threatening to do. | “The economy is stalled, inflation is rising and the pound is in serious difficulties and threatens to get worse, investment is on hold,” he said. “There is an atmosphere of total indecision and ineffectiveness at the heart of government. Because, let’s be frank, there is no parliamentary majority for what this government is threatening to do. |
| “Because this government is completely obsessed with the preposterous idea that we should leave Europe without a deal, the whole of the agenda for running this country, for modernising this country, is on hold.” | “Because this government is completely obsessed with the preposterous idea that we should leave Europe without a deal, the whole of the agenda for running this country, for modernising this country, is on hold.” |
| Heseltine said Cummings sees himself as a revolutionary. “We’ve got this guy, who is now in direct contact with the British media, briefing them on policies, scathingly attacking members of the House of Commons, and parading himself as the mastermind behind the government. That is an intolerable position for democracy,” he said. | Heseltine said Cummings sees himself as a revolutionary. “We’ve got this guy, who is now in direct contact with the British media, briefing them on policies, scathingly attacking members of the House of Commons, and parading himself as the mastermind behind the government. That is an intolerable position for democracy,” he said. |
| “It is absolutely central that parliament should be able to call to account people who represent them as ministers, and at the the moment we’re now being told by a particular figure, who’s proud of it, that he’s more or less running the show.” | “It is absolutely central that parliament should be able to call to account people who represent them as ministers, and at the the moment we’re now being told by a particular figure, who’s proud of it, that he’s more or less running the show.” |
| Speaking later on the same show, Malthouse, who served as deputy London mayor under Johnson, dismissed the criticism. “Obviously, there’s a lot of hyperbole being thrown about as we approach the date of 31 October,” he said. | Speaking later on the same show, Malthouse, who served as deputy London mayor under Johnson, dismissed the criticism. “Obviously, there’s a lot of hyperbole being thrown about as we approach the date of 31 October,” he said. |
| “In the end even people like Lord Heseltine, great figures from the past, who have never quite reconciled themselves to the idea that we’re going to leave the European Union, are going to have to focus on the fact that that’s what the British people commanded us to do, and that’s what the government is committing to do at the end of October.” | “In the end even people like Lord Heseltine, great figures from the past, who have never quite reconciled themselves to the idea that we’re going to leave the European Union, are going to have to focus on the fact that that’s what the British people commanded us to do, and that’s what the government is committing to do at the end of October.” |
| Malthouse said there was still a huge amount of work to be done on no-deal preparations, but that ministers were planning carefully. “Alongside that, obviously, profoundly the government is trying to get a deal,” he said. “And we want the Europeans to recognise that a deal is in both of our interests, that they need to start talking to us about what that might look like.” | Malthouse said there was still a huge amount of work to be done on no-deal preparations, but that ministers were planning carefully. “Alongside that, obviously, profoundly the government is trying to get a deal,” he said. “And we want the Europeans to recognise that a deal is in both of our interests, that they need to start talking to us about what that might look like.” |
| • This article was amended on 11 and 13 August 2019. An earlier version said Kit Malthouse accused Michael Heseltine of being among ageing Conservative figures who had “never quite reconciled themselves to the idea” of Brexit. Further it said that Betty Boothroyd is a Labour peer. In fact she is a crossbench peer. This has been corrected. | • This article was amended on 11 and 13 August 2019. An earlier version said Kit Malthouse accused Michael Heseltine of being among ageing Conservative figures who had “never quite reconciled themselves to the idea” of Brexit. Further it said that Betty Boothroyd is a Labour peer. In fact she is a crossbench peer. This has been corrected. |
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