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Brexit row: rebel MP Rory Stewart says Tory whip withdrawn via text message – live news
Brexit row: Ruth Davidson joins backlash against decision to remove whip from 21 Tory rebels – live news
(about 3 hours later)
Labour’s shadow Brexit minister, Keir Starmer, has told Sky News the party will not back a general election on Boris Johnson’s terms:
The Tory rebels who have now lost the party whip will not be crossing the floor when parliament sits today, the BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg reports.
Breaking: Labour confirms it won't back general election on Boris Johnson's terms. Keir Starmer tells @SkyNews "We are not voting for a general election today. We are not dancing to Boris Johnson’s tune. If Johnson says the election will be on 15 October no one trusts him”
The now former Tory rebels are planning to stay sitting in their naughty corner in the Commons on the Conservative benches
Rory Stewart revealed on Twitter this morning that he was thrown out of the Conservative party by text last night after rebelling in the Commons:
Britain’s private sector contracted last month, fuelling fears that the UK could be lurching into a Brexit-induced recession, my colleague Graeme Wearden writes on his business live blog. The full details are here.
For months it’s been clear that there is no majority for no-deal. It has been rejected repeatedly by parliament and no amount of threats or wishful thinking can make it otherwise. No-deal was never a viable strategy. https://t.co/sAvYTdzvCX
Britain 'falling into Brexit recession' as business activity shrinks – business live
In an interview with the Evening Standard on Monday, the former Tory leadership hopeful said he would still love to be prime minister.
Turning back to Jacob Rees-Mogg, it has emerged that he single-handedly managed to push the size of the rebellion last night over the 20 mark. In an interview with the Today programme’s Ross Hawkins, Guto Bebb, one of the most prominent rebels, said that Rees-Mogg’s speech helped to persuade four MPs to join him in voting against the government. Bebb said:
Kwasi Kwarteng, the business minister who has drawn the short straw by being sent out to bat for the government after its crushing defeat last night, says the 21 Tory rebels undermined the government’s position. He told the Today programme: “That was the basis with which the whip was withdrawn.”
There were at least four individuals who were still doubtful who changed their position to being supportive and voting with us on the back of Jacob’s performance. He was deemed to be arrogant, out of touch and I think the way in which he treated some of the interventions was a red rag to bull in many cases.
Asked by the BBC’s Nick Robinson whether he believed the rebels want to “surrender” to the EU – as has been suggested by Johnson’s rhetoric – he replied: “Look, I wouldn’t use the word surrender or anything like that. They are undermining the prime minister’s position and that’s why the whip was withdrawn from them.”
Mogg is getting most publicity this morning for his unusual posture on the Treasury bench. (See 6.37am.) Last night the government was, quite literally, flat on its back. But the picture has distracted attention from his speech which, even by Rees-Mogg’s standards, was unusually pompous, as well as peevish and at times offensive. You can read the highlights on last night’s blog here.
He added: “You cannot have people standing as Conservative MPs when they are against the government policy on the key issue of the day.”
A judge at the highest court in Scotland has found Boris Johnson’s planned prorogation of parliament lawful, the Press Association is reporting. Legal action aimed at preventing the UK government suspending parliament ahead of the Brexit deadline of 31 October was considered at the court of session in Edinburgh.
He said he is not sure what is going to happen this afternoon, explaining: “But what is very clear to me is that the leader of the opposition has said consistently that he wants a general election and it’s perverse of him, I think, to say now that he doesn’t want one and it suggests to me that he’s rather frightened of a general election.”
Lord Doherty revealed his decision that the prorogation was lawful this morning. It followed claims the prime minister wants to limit MPs’ scrutiny and their attempts to stop a no-deal Brexit.
He said a general election “may well be … the best way forward” to resolve the impasse in Westminster.
Nigel Farage, the Brexit party leader, has welcomed the news that Steve Baker, the new chair of the powerful European Research Group caucus in the Conservative party, favours a pact with the Brexit party if there is an early election.
Downing Street’s move to boot Rory Stewart out of the Conservative party, which he has served as an MP for nearly a decade, has prompted this reaction from members of the lobby:
A positive step in the right direction to deliver a clean break Brexit. https://t.co/0TMAzPQjgr
Rory Stewart asked on @BBCr4today about the moment he had the whip withdrawn."It came by text."Classy
From ITV’s Robert Peston
Rory Stewart says he wants to stand as a Tory MP despite being stripped of whipHe says ‘democracy is being challenged’‘I would like to stand as a Conservative for Conservative Party‘To deliver Brexit like this is to create a poison pill which will divide UK for 40 years’
I am told opposition parties will amend the government’s motion this pm to dissolve parliament, saying they will allow election if government accepts their new law that would seek to delay Brexit. What will @BorisJohnson do?
.@RoryStewartUK on @BBCr4today "Probably the strongest reason why this is the wrong thing to do, is that to deliver Brexit like this is to create a poison pill which for 40 years will divide this country straight down the middle.
The Scottish first minister Nicola Sturgeon says Boris Johnson should accept.
The former Conservative leadership candidate Rory Stewart – who was among 21 Tory MPs who had the whip removed last night after voting against the government – has revealed he was dumped from the party by text.
If he has any respect for democracy, Johnson will support this amendment, agree to abide by will of Parliament on the Bill blocking ‘no deal’ and then submit to the verdict of the people in a General Election. https://t.co/p4zyaJeUF1
Stewart, who until weeks ago was international development secretary, has pledged to stand again for parliament.
Boris Johnson has been chairing a cabinet meeting this morning. It has just finished, and ministers have been leaving No 10. According to the Press Association, the Commons leader, Jacob Rees-Mogg, did not answer when asked if he “had a good sleep” after he was pictured lounging on the Commons benches during the debate yesterday.
He told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “Yes, I intend to stand as a Conservative MP … I think this is very important. What’s happening here is our democracy is being challenged. It was challenged first by proroguing parliament, it’s being challenged again by something completely unprecedented.
Here is how the day will unfold in parliament:
“I mean, Mrs Thatcher had very strong views on the world but she didn’t, when people disagreed with her, try to deselect them as MPs.”
11.30am: The Commons sitting starts with Welsh questions.
Asked what he can do about it and whether he would consider legal action, the MP for Penrith and The Border said: “I would consider doing the most straight forward thing of all, which is asking my constituents to support me, which they always have in the past. And I think other colleagues will do the same.”
12pm: Boris Johnson takes PMQs. This will be his first PMQs as prime minister. Given that parliament may well be prorogued by next Wednesday, and that if there is an early election he could lose, it could be his last one too.
Good morning folks, Simon Murphy here taking over the live blog on what is likely to be another extraordinary day of politics in Westminster. Brace yourselves.
Around 12.50pm: Sajid Javid, the chancellor, makes a Commons statement about the spending review.
That’s all from me for now, I’m going to hand over to my colleague Simon Murphy.
3pm: MPs begin the debate on Hilary Benn’s bill designed to rule out a no-deal Brexit on 31 October.
Anna Soubry says that the expulsion of “long-serving, loyal, one nation Conservatives” is “sure-fire proof” the party is “gripped by the ideological right”.
Around 3.30pm: Peers start debating a business motion tabled by Labour designed to ensure that, if the Benn bill gets to the Lords, it will complete its passage through the house by 5pm on Friday.
Expelling long serving, loyal #OneNation #Conservatives for putting country first, is sure fire proof the its gripped by the ideological right. It’s an intolerant purity that has gripped @UKLabour since @jeremycorbyn ‘s election. Centrists must come together @ForChange_Now https://t.co/Jsmp6MHwV4
5pm: MPs vote for the second reading of the bill. That is a yes/no vote on whether it should go ahead. After that MPs will spend two hours debating amendments to the bill.
How the papers covered it
7pm: MPs vote on amendments to the bill and for its third reading. There are likely to be several votes, each one taking 15 minutes.
There is mixed coverage of Boris Johnson’s resounding defeat and his call for an election.
Mid-evening: After voting on the Benn bill is finished MPs will have a 90-minute debate on Boris Johnson’s motion saying “that there shall be an early election”. The motion may well pass but the opposition parties are not voting in favour (because they want the Benn bill passed before they agree to an early election), and so Johnson is not expected to get the two-thirds majority needed under the Fixed-term Parliaments Act for an early election to go ahead.
The Guardian focuses on the significance of the defeat, calling it a “humiliation” for the PM. The Times gave weight to its front-page picture of an animated prime minister beneath the headline: “PM loses historic vote.” It says he “lost control of Brexit” as MPs paved the way for an extension on the 31 October deadline for an exit.
In his morning London Playbook briefing for Politico Europe, Jack Blanchard has some more evidence of the backlash in the Conservative party against Boris Johnson’s decision to remove the whip from the 21 Tory rebels. Here’s an extract.
The Telegraph uses the headline: “Johnson demands election” and an image of the PM looking composed at the dispatch box. It carries a graphic with the numbers for last night’s vote without referring to the defeat. The Matt cartoon has the pets of Downing Street saying: “Somebody has made a horrible mess and I’m not clearing it up.”
‘Richard bloody Benyon?’ Despite all the threats and aggressive briefings from No 10 in lead-up, plenty of Tory MPs and aides were still gobsmacked by the unprecedented purge of the moderates we saw last night. When was the last time any major political party threw out more than 20 of its MPs for disobeying orders? Worryingly for Downing Street, even slavishly loyal Brexiteers were unnerved. “It’s like something out of North Korea,” one normally supportive No 10 aide phoned Playbook to say. “I honestly think they’ve completely overreached. They have f***ed this up. We look bonkers. You’re trying to frame it as parliament vs. the people — and then you deselect 20-odd of your own MPs, including Winston Churchill’s grandson? I mean — deselecting Philip Hammond is one thing, but Richard bloody Benyon? Imagine what we’d be saying if Corbyn did something like this” ...
The Express criticises the Tory rebels and parliament in general, accusing them of “betraying Brexit” on a shameful day for democracy. “Parliament surrenders to the EU,” is the headline, above an image of Johnson ruffling his hair.
Caught in the middle: Centrist Tory MPs such as ex-Minister Tobias Ellwood told my colleague Annabelle Dickson they too were worried by Downing Street’s response. “It is a sad day indeed when the grandson of Churchill is threatened with deselection,” Ellwood said. “We shouldn’t lose sight of the party we used to be — an open, center-right, one nation, progressive party. Given how many people rebelled under Theresa May’s government it is a worrying precedent that has been set.” Another Tory MP told her the deselections were “completely unacceptable”, adding: “There are a lot of moderate people who won’t be at all happy with this.”
Guardian front page, Wednesday 4 September 2019: Humiliation for Johnson as Tory rebels turn against him pic.twitter.com/265zf5MNdB
Last night was not a great night for the Conservative party. Those on the centrist, remain-voting wing of the party saw 21 of their number lose the party whip, with the result that they may effectively be purged from parliament after the next election. And they were having the confront the transformation of their party into a quasi-Brexit party. (See 9am.)
TIMES FRONT PAGEPM loses historic vote pic.twitter.com/1CIw0JtSj4
And, of course, for the Brexiters in government, it was a disaster too. Johnson lost his first vote as PM, his majority has been vaporised, and he is being pitched into a general election where he will be vulnerable to the Brexit party (although it is not impossible that in that election his “people versus parliament” message could work well for him).
The front page of tomorrow’s Daily Telegraph: ‘Johnson demands election’ #TomorrowsPapersToday pic.twitter.com/MBXikSwB06
But at least one Conservative did seem quite cheery as she left the House of Commons last night. Here is the former PM Theresa May, who seems to be taking some pleasure from the fact that someone who helped to bring her down failed his first parliamentary challenge so dramatically.
EXPRESS: Parliament surrenders to the EU #TomorrowsPapersToday pic.twitter.com/OuvAc8rOla
Rory Stewart, the former international development secretary who lost the Tory whip last night after voting against the government, has just told BBC News that, if he is not reinstated as a Conservative candidate, he will consider standing as an independent in his Penrith and The Border constituency.
Tomorrow's front page: Boris loses control#TomorrowsPapersToday https://t.co/TLiHc0mvKu pic.twitter.com/zo17SmoDtX
I: @BorisJohnson loses control #TomorrowsPapersToday pic.twitter.com/6FWEAnWBWW
'Johnson loses control': how the papers covered the historic Commons defeat
Here are the Tory MPs who voted with the opposition yesterday. They were then called by the chief whip telling them the whip had been removed and they were no longer part of the Conservative party.
(As Jess Phillips, Labour MP for Birmingham Yardley, points out, that picture showing the 21 rebels makes it look like Rory Stewart is, in fact, a spy.)
Some of them have spoken out since then, including Ken Clarke, the father of the house, who told Newsnight he does not recognise his own party.
.@maitlis: "Do you recognise your party tonight?"Ken Clarke: "No. It’s been taken over by a rather knock-about character" The Father of the House says Boris Johnson’s cabinet is the “most right-wing cabinet any Conservative party’s ever produced” #Newsnight | @maitlis pic.twitter.com/qSzXkQs9gO
My colleague Aditya Chakrabortty has written this column about the threats to democracy we have seen this week. He writes:
Growing up, I learned that leaders who threaten democracy normally came decked out in khaki green, in front of troops toting shiny hardware. They commandeered broadcast studios, captured national buildings and imposed curfews on the streets. What is happening in Britain this week looks nothing like those grainy TV pictures, but it nonetheless marks an assault on our democracy.
The government wants to shut down parliamentary democracy, claiming it is acting for the good of parliamentary democracy. From within No 10 Dominic Cummings threatens to end the career of elected MPs. And David Gauke, the Conservative MP who just six weeks ago was secretary of state for justice, wrote to his former government colleagues on Monday to ask them to obey the rule of law.
Just because the paradoxes are so glaring makes them no less dangerous. The self-proclaimed party of law and order has this summer dropped the first bit to become merely the party of order. In this battle of Brexit-blocking politicians versus the people, the tribune of us plebs is none other than Jacob Rees-Mogg. His leader is Boris Johnson, perhaps the most slovenly would-be authoritarian in contemporary history.
A reminder of this moment from last night’s debate and the many and various jokes it spawned.
pic.twitter.com/KkTndNQkBN
pic.twitter.com/uRoLwalAho
pic.twitter.com/XHyAPb0rdP
laid back, with my mind on my money and my money on my mindrollin down the street, smokin indo, sippin on gin and juice pic.twitter.com/tFWxZRCD0i
Alas, poor Ophelia pic.twitter.com/mO3jqh39sm
Have you woken up in such a fog of Brexit confusion that you are struggling to remember what exactly happened yesterday and whether to be more furious, exasperated, delighted or enraged? If you need a gentle reminder I’ve written a short explainer of what happened yesterday, addressing questions like:
What just happened?
Boris Johnson has just lost a very significant vote in parliament, which has allowed MPs to seize control of the parliamentary timetable. It paves the way to introduce a bill that is designed to block a no-deal Brexit by forcing the prime minister to request an extension if he cannot strike a reworked divorce agreement with the rest of the EU.
Johnson threatened his MPs ahead of Tuesday that they should vote with him or face the penalty of having the “whip” withdrawn. Despite this threat, Johnson lost the vote. The rebel MPs and opposition parties won by 328 to 301.
What does it mean to ‘withdraw the whip’?
An arcane and slightly disturbing expression, in political-speak “withdrawing the whip” from someone effectively means booting them out of the party, without them immediately losing their seat.
An MP who has the whip withdrawn sits as an independent, but can be brought back into the party fold if it decides to restore the whip. Having the whip withdrawn is one of the most serious disciplinary actions that can be taken against an MP by a party. In this case it may mean they are barred from standing for the Tories in the next election.
What happens next?
Boris Johnson has announced he will ask parliament to allow a snap general election, which would be held on 15 October. The date of 14 October had been floated, but was deemed inappropriate as it is the Jewish holiday Sukkot.
Johnson has said that even if the rebels’ vote passes on Wednesday he will never request an extension beyond 31 October from the EU, and “the people of this country will have to choose” in an election. However, the prime minister needs a two-thirds majority to secure an early general election under the Fixed-term Parliaments Act. Which means Labour can block it – and Jeremy Corbyn quickly made clear his party would not vote for an election unless and until the anti-no-deal bill has passed.
There is talk that if things reach a stalemate, it could result in a motion of no confidence in Johnson, but the prospects of that remain unclear.
Whips and votes and early polls: what is going on in UK politics?
Good morning and welcome to our rolling coverage of the day in politics.
It’s only been three hours since we shut down last night’s blog, and hopefully you’ve all had some sleep and some top-shelf coffee since you logged off last night, because it’s going to be another massive day.
Yesterday Johnson suffered a humiliating defeat in his first House of Commons vote as prime minister, losing the vote 328 to 301, despite threatening his MPs that the whip would be withdrawn if they did not vote with him.
The move was aimed at paving the way for a bill, which is designed to block a no-deal Brexit by forcing the prime minister to request an extension to article 50 if he cannot strike a reworked deal with the EU27.
Former cabinet ministers including Philip Hammond and David Gauke were among 21 Conservative rebels who banded together with opposition MPs to seize control of the parliamentary timetable on a dramatic day in Westminster.
After the defeat, Johnson announced he would ask parliament to support plans for a snap October general election, saying he would never request the delay mandated in the rebels’ bill (which they are due to table today, having won control of the parliamentary debate yesterday) which he said would “hand control of the negotiations to the EU”.
However, it is unclear whether Johnson will be able to get the support needed to hold an election. The prime minister needs a two-thirds majority to secure a general election under the Fixed-term Parliaments Act, and Jeremy Corbyn quickly made clear his party would not vote for the motion unless and until the anti no-deal bill had passed.
There’s a lot that is unclear, a lot that is uncharted, but come along with us as we attempt to chart it. I’ll be with you for the first little while, before handing over to my esteemed colleagues.
As usual, get in touch through the comments, on Twitter or via email (kate.lyons@theguardian.com).
Let’s go.
Boris Johnson to seek election after rebel Tories deliver Commons defeat
