A cabal of opposition parties and rebel Conservative MPs should have the numbers to defeat Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s government on Brexit on Tuesday according to former Chancellor Philip Hammond.
“I think we will have the numbers. I think there will be enough people to get this over the line.”
“Many colleagues have been incensed by some of the actions over the last week or so. I think there’s a group of Conservatives who feel very strongly that now is a time where we have to put the national interest ahead of any threats to us personally or to our careers.”
With 59 days to go until Britain is due to leave the European Union on Oct. 31, the cross-party group will use parliament’s first day back from its summer break to launch their attempt to block a no-deal exit.
Johnson has warned Conservative lawmakers they will be expelled from the party if they vote with the opposition. A government source has also said Johnson would seek an election if he loses the Brexit vote.
Hammond said he intended to stand as a Conservative at the next election and he did not believe Downing Street could stop him. “There would certainly be the fight of a lifetime if they tried to (stop me),” he said, showing the depth of anger in the party.
This comes as Labour’s election Chief has said they will only back an election if a No Deal Brexit can categorically be stopped saying:
“We’ve got to get a locked-in guarantee that Britain would not crash out of the EU in an election campaign period,” Chakrabarti told BBC radio.
“We’ve also got to try as best as possible to ensure that it wouldn’t be possible for the sitting squatting prime minister in this period to set a general election and then change the date. The priority this morning is preventing this no-deal crash out.
“Then of course if we get the sequencing right and we can get sufficient support across the house we live and breathe for a general election.”
UNN Will keep you up to date with all events, please hit the bell in the bottom right of your screen on mobile/tablet for notifications or hit allow on the top right hand side on desktop. Also sign up below for emails.
Lead Correspondent | David Clews is the Lead Correspondent for UNN, with over 20 years of political/campaigning experience and a wealth of social media and communication skills David gets to the heart of what is really important to the real people of the UK.
Keep up to date with all of David & UN’s work by linking up with us on our Social Media Channels by Clicking Here Now: https://unitynewsnetwork.co.uk/our-social-media-links/
