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Brexit: Rees-Mogg's 'arrogant' speech cost government votes, says Tory rebel – live news PMQs: Boris Johnson faces Jeremy Corbyn after Brexit vote defeat – live news
(31 minutes later)
Jeremy Corbyn also pays his respects to PC Andrew Harper.
And he sends his condolences to those affected by Hurrican Dorian.
He asks Corbyn if it is right that his Brexit strategy involves running down the clock and that the attorney general thinks the idea the the EU will abandon the backstop is a “fantasy” (as the Telegraph reported last night).
Johnson attacks the “surrender bill” again. He says Corbyn wants “mobs of Momentum activists” to block the roads. He challenges Corbyn to agree to an election. “Or is he frit?”
Corbyn says Johnson did not answer the first question he put to him. He tries again. What proposals have been put to the EU? The fact Johnson won’t answer suggests there are none. If the PM thinks he has made progress, will he publish those proposals?
Johnson says you don’t negotiate in public. “We are making substantial progress,” he claims.
Johnson claims he is making “substantial progress” in talks with the EU.
He says he will get a deal. The only thing that is undermining him is “this surrender bill that will lead to more dither and delay”. He says he wants 20,000 more police officers on the streets. He says Corbyn wants to spend £1bn net a month beyond October to keep the UK in the EU.
Siobhain McDonagh, the Labour MP, says leaving without a Brexit deal is unthinkable. Johnson is pursuing a strategy of brinkmanship. If he believes in no deal, he should put it to the people.
Johnson says he will take the UK out of the EU on 31 October. He says the only thing in the way is the “surrender bill” proposed by Jeremy Corbyn. He challenges Corbyn to let the public vote on this by agreeing to an election on 15 October.
Johnson challenges Corbyn to let public decide on what he calls the “surrender bill” by agreeing to an early election.
Boris Johnson starts by paying tribute to PC Andrew Harper killed while on duty during the summer. He says this is a reminder of the dangers faced by the police.
Theresa May on the government benches for PMQs sandwiched between Ken Clarke and Antoinette Sandbach - neither of whom are Tory MPs any longer
Boris Johnson has just arrived in the chamber, to cheering and booing.
(Booing is very, very unusual. That says something about the reaction Johnson provokes.)
Here is the list of MPs down to ask a question.
Boris Johnson is about to take his first PMQs.
Yesterday Nigel Farage launched 16 new video adverts on Facebook, with straplines like “We have spent the summer preparing for a general election — and we are ready”, “I founded The Brexit Party to restore faith in our broken democracy” and “We are ready for an election. It’s time for a clean break Brexit”.
It’s notable that though they are being paid for by the Brexit party, they are all promoting Nigel Farage’s personal page on Facebook, not the party’s page. Farage has six times as many ‘likes’ on his page than the party does. They are not currently spending any money on adverts from the Brexit party page itself.
Retailers have said that the end of October is “probably the worst time to face a no-deal Brexit”, warning there will be disruption to fresh food supplies and potential price rises despite claims by Michael Gove to the contrary.
Andrew Opie, the director of food and sustainability at the British Retail Consortium, told the Commons Brexit committee that he could not explain why Gove, who is in charge of the government’s no-deal planning said “there will be no shortages of fresh food” in the event of a disorderly departure from the EU on 31 October. Opie said:
Our assessment is based on discussion with our members who move fresh food every day, and the likely disruption.
We modelled that with our members who have told us there will be disruption to fresh food.
It will effect fresh food in various ways, availability, shelf life and potentially cost.
From the FT’s Jim Pickard
A special meeting of the Parliamentary Labour Party has just broken up, the near-unanimous view of the room was that Corbyn should hold off on a snap election until after November 1. Corbyn may disagree. But in the words of one figure: "They (MPs) are the ones who have the vote."
Downing Street has sent out this readout from this morning’s cabinet.
At cabinet this morning the chancellor discussed his plans ahead of today’s spending round where he will present an ambitious domestic agenda, delivering on the government’s priorities.
He said that thanks to the hard work of the British people and tough decisions made over the last decade, we are beginning a new decade of renewal.
We are delivering a step-change in spending on people’s priorities, which is why we are spending more on the NHS, properly funding our schools, boosting further education and tackling violent crime by hiring 20,000 new police officers.
The prime minister thanked the chancellor and HM Treasury for all of their work and said that levelling up was at the core of this spending round, unlocking the talent of the whole of the United Kingdom.
My colleague Jonathan Freedland has a good column on Boris Johnson’s election strategy. Here is an excerpt.
The assumption is that [Dominic] Cummings is intentionally baiting MPs so that he can trigger an election that Boris Johnson will then cast as a populist battle of “people v parliament”.
If that’s right, it is surely the most high-risk electoral strategy ever attempted in this country. It knowingly alienates moderate Tory voters who have always quite liked, say, Ken Clarke, thereby writing off a string of seats – in the south and the West Country – that are likely to fall to the Liberal Democrats. It similarly dooms the Tories in Scotland. So Johnson will begin the next election campaign with that immediate handicap. The Cummings plan is to make up for those lost seats, and gain many more, by winning pro-leave seats in the Midlands and north of England, many of them Labour-held, chiefly by neutralising the Brexit party. Why vote for Nigel Farage when you can get a no-deal, full-monty Brexit with Johnson?
The trouble with that is, there are plenty of onetime Labour voters who were happy to vote leave in 2016, happy even to vote for Farage in May’s European elections, who may nevertheless baulk at voting Tory. Still, Cummings and Johnson are gambling on the belief that they can burn down every other plank of historic Tory support, but win power by delighting the hardcore Brexit base. Win the 35%, enrage everyone else.
A few weeks from now, we might be watching a triumphant Johnson returned to Downing Street with a healthy majority, forced to applaud the strategic genius of Dominic Cummings. Or we might marvel that a man who inherited a precarious political situation went on a rampage of revolutionary destruction, thereby making that situation much, much worse.
And here is the full article.
Boris Johnson’s electoral gamble risks wrecking the Tory party | Jonathan Freedland
Media attention will mostly be focused on the Commons this afternoon, but in the Lords peers are also gearing up for what should be an epic display of filibustering.Media attention will mostly be focused on the Commons this afternoon, but in the Lords peers are also gearing up for what should be an epic display of filibustering.
Peers are debating a business motion tabled by Labour designed to ensure that, if the Benn bill intended to stop a no-deal Brexit on 31 October goes to the Lords tomorrow, it can clear all its stages by 5pm on Friday. A business motion is needed because in the Lords bills are not subject to programme motions, meaning in theory debates can go on forever. The Lib Dems support the business motion and so, given that the Tories do not have a majority, it should pass.Peers are debating a business motion tabled by Labour designed to ensure that, if the Benn bill intended to stop a no-deal Brexit on 31 October goes to the Lords tomorrow, it can clear all its stages by 5pm on Friday. A business motion is needed because in the Lords bills are not subject to programme motions, meaning in theory debates can go on forever. The Lib Dems support the business motion and so, given that the Tories do not have a majority, it should pass.
But before peers get to vote on it they will have to debate the amendments to the business motion. On today’s order paper (pdf) there are 86 of them. In the Lords every amendment normally gets debated, and peers are normally free to speak for as long as they want, making it filibustering heaven. The only way to fast-track a vote is to move a closure motion. But even these take time, because peers first have to vote for the closure motion, and then vote for the amendment. So, in theory, 86 amendments could translated into 172 votes.But before peers get to vote on it they will have to debate the amendments to the business motion. On today’s order paper (pdf) there are 86 of them. In the Lords every amendment normally gets debated, and peers are normally free to speak for as long as they want, making it filibustering heaven. The only way to fast-track a vote is to move a closure motion. But even these take time, because peers first have to vote for the closure motion, and then vote for the amendment. So, in theory, 86 amendments could translated into 172 votes.
It probably won’t go on quite that long but Dick Newby, the Lib Dem leader in the Lords, has arrived for work prepared for a long night.It probably won’t go on quite that long but Dick Newby, the Lib Dem leader in the Lords, has arrived for work prepared for a long night.
Arriving in Lords with duvet, change of clothes and shaving kit. Could take us a while to see off 86 wrecking amendments on timetable motion today/tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/Knbxu1OdlfArriving in Lords with duvet, change of clothes and shaving kit. Could take us a while to see off 86 wrecking amendments on timetable motion today/tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/Knbxu1Odlf
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.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.
The now former Tory rebels are planning to stay sitting in their naughty corner in the Commons on the Conservative benchesThe now former Tory rebels are planning to stay sitting in their naughty corner in the Commons on the Conservative benches
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.
Britain 'falling into Brexit recession' as business activity shrinks – business live
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:
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
A positive step in the right direction to deliver a clean break Brexit. https://t.co/0TMAzPQjgr
From ITV’s Robert Peston
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?
The Scottish first minister Nicola Sturgeon says Boris Johnson should accept.
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
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.
Here is how the day will unfold in parliament:
11.30am: The Commons sitting starts with Welsh questions.
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.
Around 12.50pm: Sajid Javid, the chancellor, makes a Commons statement about the spending review.
3pm: MPs begin the debate on Hilary Benn’s bill designed to rule out a no-deal Brexit on 31 October.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
‘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” ...
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.”
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.)
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).
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.
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.