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Brexit: No 10 accuses Corbyn of 'cowardly insult to democracy' for not backing early election – live news
Brexit: Jo Johnson, brother of Boris Johnson, to stand down – live news
(about 3 hours later)
Damian Green, the former cabinet minister and leader of the One Nation group of Conservatives, has called for the reinstatement of the 21 rebels kicked out of the party. Speaking to the BBC he said:
From the Labour MEP Theresa Griffin
I’m afraid it does look as though somebody has decided that the moderate, progressive wing of the Conservative party is not wanted on voyage.
The first example of a politician stepping down to spend less time with their family? https://t.co/PxPZ7ufTBg
That’s wrong in principle because there are many Conservative traditions, but it is terrible practical politics to narrow your appeal just before a general election.
Jo Johnson’s resignation comes as the pound hits a five-week high, on hopes that a no-deal Brexit can be avoided.
The chancellor, Sajid Javid, has refused to deny that he objected to the expulsion of the 21 Tory MPs who voted against the government on bill to block a no deal.
Sterling has rallied to $1.2345 this morning, its highest level since late July.
Asked on BBC Breakfast about reports of a row in cabinet over the issue, Javid said:
It has now gained almost four cents since Tuesday, it’s best two-day run in 10 months, as investors welcome efforts to prevent Britain crashing out of the EU without a deal.
I’m not going to get into discussions I’ve had with the prime minister, but I am sad to see 21 colleagues no longer carrying the conservative whip.
Our Business Live blog has more details.
These are my friends. These are good people. But they also knew that that when the prime minister of the day says a vote is a matter of confidence, what would be the consequences of opposing that. This is not something I wanted to see. But we do need to step back and think about how do we deliver on the central mission to leave the EU by October 31 and continue to govern this country in a way that the people are feeling that their priorities are being met.
From the Sun’s Steve Hawkes
Javid, who spoke out against proroguing parliament to force through Brexit during the Tory leadership debate, offered muted backing for the move. He said during the leadership debate he was objecting to suspending parliament “for months”.
Jo Johnson got up and left half way through brother Boris' G7 statement (it may have been PMQs) - he didn't look happy then
He added:
Jo Johnson, like his brother Boris, was a journalist before he became MP. Journalists are supposed to express ideas clearly.
Proroguing parliament for a Queen’s speech is perfectly correct, especially when there’s plenty of time to debate things as we’ve seen this week.
But his tweet today is loaded with ambiguity.
Javid also backed Johnson’s call for an early election:
It’s been an honour to represent Orpington for 9 years & to serve as a minister under three PMs. In recent weeks I’ve been torn between family loyalty and the national interest - it’s an unresolvable tension & time for others to take on my roles as MP & Minister. #overandout
Since the 2017 election, we’ve had a parliament that keeps saying what it doesn’t want when it comes to Brexit, but it is not deciding on what it wants. We’ve just got to the point now that we need to let the people decide who should govern this country. And the choice is going to be clear: they can choose Jeremy Corbyn, and all his dithering and his desire to ignore the will of the people and stay in the EU. Or they can choose Boris Johnson, who will not only deliver on that central promise to leave the EU, but also on the people’s priorities.
It is not just that it is unclear from what he is saying whether he is resigning as a minister today, or whether he is just saying he will no longer serve in government because within the next few weeks he will no longer by an MP.
Boris Johnson appears to be preparing for another lectern moment.
But he also says he has been “torn between family loyalty and the national interest”.
A Number 10 spokesman said the prime minister would today “speak directly to the public, setting out the vital choice that faces our country”.
MPs often decide to leave politics so that can spend more time with their children. Johnson and his wife have two.
The spokesman added:
But in this sentence “family loyalty” seems to be a reference to his brother instead. And “national interest” seems to be an admission that he can no longer support the government’s policies (although, if Johnson were going to take a stand against his brother’s strategy, the obvious time to do it would have been on Tuesday or Wednesday, when MPs were voting on no deal).
He will argue that Jeremy Corbyn’s ‘surrender bill’ will force the prime minister to go to Brussels and surrender to any demands they make. This would in essence overturn the biggest democratic vote in our history - the 2016 referendum.
And No 10 can’t clarify yet whether or not Jo Johnson is leaving the government today, or at the election.
The PM will not do this. It is clear the only action is to go back to the people and give them the opportunity to decide what they want: Boris to go to Brussels and get a deal, or leave without one on 31 October or Jeremy Corbyn arriving in Brussels with his surrender bill begging for more delay, more dither and accepting whatever terms Brussels imposes over our nation.
The business department won’t say if Jo Johnson is still a minister in their department or not.
For Jeremy Corbyn to continue to avoid an election would be a cowardly insult to democracy.
Johnson is standing down at the next election.
The petition against proroguing parliament, which was signed by more than 1.7m people, will be debated on Monday.
But not Boris. It’s Jo, his brother. He has just tweeted this.
It only needed 100,000 signatures to secure a debate.
It’s been an honour to represent Orpington for 9 years & to serve as a minister under three PMs. In recent weeks I’ve been torn between family loyalty and the national interest - it’s an unresolvable tension & time for others to take on my roles as MP & Minister. #overandout
The shadow chancellor, John McDonnell, has played down Keir Starmer’s suggestion that Labour would only back an early election after the bill to prevent a no-deal Brexit has been implemented.
Johnson has been MP for Orpington since 2010. He also attends cabinet as universities minister. He got promoted even though he voted remain in 2010 and he is much more pro-European than his brother. It is hard to believe that he is comfortable about the idea of a no-deal Brexit, although he has not questioned his brother’s strategy in public.
Speaking to Sky News, McDonnell said:
This tweet implies that he is standing down as an MP at the forthcoming election, and leaving the government then, rather than that he is resigning as a minister today, but it is not entirely clear. I will clarify that as soon as I can.
Keir said that is one of the options, that’s why we are consulting. There’s a range of views in the parliamentary Labour party. But if we are going to have control of the date we’ve got to bring the other opposition parties with us. I think we’ll reach a consensus. But we’ve got to block a no deal.
Luciana Berger, the former Labour MP who left to join what became Change UK, has joined the Liberal Democrats.
McDonnell said Labour wanted to back an election once the Benn bill seeking an extension to the 31 October Brexit deadline, had passed into law. He said:
I am very pleased to announce that I have joined @joswinson and the @LibDems, the strongest party to stop brexit, fight for equality and a fairer country.
Jeremy has said once the legislation is through we want a general election ourselves. We are consulting now, so it is all about timing. There’s no tug of war within the Labour party. We are consulting now the other opposition parties.
She is the second MP to join the Lib Dems this week. On Tuesday the Conservative former minister Phillip Lee crossed the floor to join Jo Swinson’s party.
He also accused Boris Johnson of behaving like a toddler in demanding an election now. He said:
And here is another Labour MP, Ian Murray, saying the party should “go long” in relation to an early general election (as John McDonnell put it - see 10.05am).
If you’ve been a parent, this is like dealing with two- or three-year-old having a tantrum ... So you let them have their tantrum and you you have to be the grown-up in the room. And the grown-up in the room is saying: ‘Fine, have your tantrum, but we are not going to allow you take this country out on a no-deal Brexit, because you will undermine our economy.’
We can't fall for the Johnson trap of a General Election in order to deliver a no deal Brexit. I won't vote for an election until after 31 October to ensure no deal is off the table. My piece for today's @edinburghpaper https://t.co/GCRdlcSYFo (Thx @annaturley for the photo)
George Monbiot has pointed out the different ways yesterday’s events were covered in the Sun in England and Scotland.
Here are three Labour MP saying this morning that the party should not vote for an early general election to take place unless it is taking place after 31 October.
Observe the different treatment of yesterday's events in the Sun in England and the Scottish Sun. pic.twitter.com/TnkzO7ZUKg
From Tonia Antoniazzi
Among the more baffling things that happened last night was that Jacob Rees-Mogg posted this video, spoofing him lounging in parliament, onto his official Instagram account.
I welcome the opportunity to stand in a #GeneralElection but don't be led into thinking it'll resolve this #BrexitShambles. A GE must be called AFTER the 31st October because this PM is a #Liar and the the UK will not be taken for fools!
My advisers have insisted that I come up with a recline to take.
From Anna Turley
A post shared by Jacob Rees-Mogg (@jacob_rees_mogg) on Sep 4, 2019 at 1:52pm PDT
I won’t be voting for a general election until Brexit is sorted after 31st October. The last GE was called to help the Tories get a ‘strong & stable’ majority & achieved nothing but more confusion. Sort negotiations first & then ask the people to confirm it one way or another.
‘You great big girl’s blouse’ – Johnson accused of sexism for remark in debate
From Catherine McKinnell
You may have missed this moment in parliament yesterday with everything that was going on, but at one point during Boris Johnson’s first Prime Minister’s Questions he appeared to call out to Jeremy Corbyn: “Call an election, you great big girl’s blouse.”
Johnson is a Prime Minister we simply cannot trust. We should be holding him to account every day until October 31st rather than closing parliament & fighting a stunt GE, risking crashing out of the EU without a deal 1/2
As my colleague Martin Belam writes, the comment was immediately seized upon on social media, with users suggesting the comment was sexist and not a fitting for the prime minister to say in parliament.
He promised to negotiate a new deal with the EU. He claimed he can solve the Ireland/EU border ‘backstop’ issue. The public deserve more than empty promises. He needs to get on with it & put it back to Parliament & then to a public vote. 2/3
Johnson has form for previously using the phrase. In June 2017 he called Labour’s election campaign chief a “big girl’s blouse”. And in 2007, when Gordon Brown was tipped to be on the verge of calling a general election in an era before the Fixed-Term Parliaments Act, he reportedly told a fringe meeting at the Conservative party conference in Blackpool that if Brown didn’t act: “We will say he’s wimped out, we will say he’s a big girl’s blouse.”
The public want this resolved, but a General Election that would be about so much more than just Brexit hasn’t & won’t achieve it. It’s time to put a clear Brexit offer - with all the facts on the table - back to Parliament & then to the people for the final say. #PeoplesVote /3
Johnson also raised eyebrows by swearing during the course of one of his answers in PMQs, quoting shadow education secretary Angela Rayner’s description of Labour’s economic policy as “shit or bust”. Rayner described Johnson’s performance as dreadful.
How the papers covered it
Boris Johnson’s failed bid to trigger a general election next month dominates coverage today, with papers either focusing on the humiliation of his defeat, many of which say the prime minister is a “cornered” man, or on Jeremy Corbyn’s refusal to back Johnson’s calls for a vote.
The Guardian front page, Thursday 5 September 2019: Cornered Johnson suffers triple Commons defeat pic.twitter.com/4Rw5SqwTkd
@FT front page "Johnson backed into corner as Commons delivers double blow" pic.twitter.com/4OqY9TohJT
Johnson blocked as MPs refuse early election call#tomorrowspaperstoday@BBCHelena #Brexit pic.twitter.com/yiPPDm8mIK
Tomorrow's front page: Britain's worst PM (since the last one)#TomorrowsPapersToday https://t.co/awPz4GMPjc pic.twitter.com/IpFHpkWbKT
The front page of tomorrow’s Daily Telegraph: ‘Hypocrite’ Corbyn rejects election to break deadlock#TomorrowsPapersToday pic.twitter.com/Z5pGauNiXT
Tomorrow's front page: Seething Boris Johnson branded Jeremy Corbyn a "chicken" after the Labour leader blocked a snap General Election https://t.co/LtUUcvuyTm pic.twitter.com/EA4XnjhAPu
Tomorrow's @Daily_Express #frontpage - #BorisJohnson urges 'people power' to force #election #Brexit #Brexitvote #Election2020 #Election2019#tomorrowspaperstoday pic.twitter.com/cBiviS5O8W
'PM cornered': how the papers covered Johnson's horror day in Commons
Lords agree to push through bill preventing no deal by end of Friday – video
Good morning and welcome to the Guardian’s live coverage of whatever political shenanigans today is going to throw at us.
Welcome especially to any members of the House of Lords who might happen to follow this live blog and who had a late night on Wednesday.
Our honourable friends in the upper house were up debating the Benn bill until the wee hours when the deadlock finally broke and Lords voted in favour of getting the bill, which rules out a no-deal Brexit and was passed by the House of Commons earlier this week, through all stages of parliament by Friday afternoon, before parliament is suspended by Boris Johnson.
That agreement was reached around 1:30am on Thursday when peers passed a business motion that means the Benn bill will be returned to the lower house by 5pm on Friday, ruling out the prospect of attempts at a filibuster.
From there, the bill can be voted on again by MPs on Monday and presented for royal assent. Jeremy Corbyn has said he would support calls for a snap general election if the Benn bill preventing a no-deal Brexit received royal assent, so this is a significant step.
Peers are set to debate the Benn bill itself and amendments today. We’ll be bringing you news of that debate, and everything else that is going on, as it happens. As I have been throughout the week, I’ll be kicking things off before handing over to my colleagues. Please get in touch via the comments, on Twitter or via email (kate.lyons@theguardian.com).
