Boris Johnson fails to win over Tory rebels in meeting at No 10 ahead of key Brexit vote
Parliament to resume after summer recess amid Boris Johnson threat to call snap election
- Johnson: back me or face election
- Hammond preparing for political ‘fight of a lifetime’
- Brussels baffled by Johnson’s Brexit progress claims
- Greening to quit as Tory MP at next election
Boris Johnson held a meeting with some of the Tory rebels this morning. Those present included David Gauke, Philip Hammond, Greg Clark, Stephen Hammond, Nicholas Soames, Antoinette Sandbach, Margot James and Anne Milton, who left Downing Street without commenting to reporters.
Understand Hammond also furious in meeting with PM today – suggested No10 had no negotiating strategy or team in place and said MPs did not trust the government not to change date of election
Meeting including Margot James, Greg Clark, David Gauke, Caroline Nokes, Alistair Burt and Anne Milton.Some attempted genuine engagement with PM on negotiating deal but PM and Gove said they believe any deal is dead if bill passes & said it would only lead to referendum or revoke
3. In contrast tory rebels meeting with PM seems to have gone less than swimmingly .. one there said it was ‘crap’ , another said Johnson made it clear he would withdraw he whip – sounds like it was less than cordial not surprisingly given what’s at stake
4. Johnson tried to make case he thinks will get a deal but there simply isn’t much faith in that argument – one present said ‘it’s a load of ….’ – on other side another in the room said it’s clear rebels have consulted with eu lawyers
Bust up at rebel MPs’ meeting with PM:
PM: ‘I will not tolerate a Bill that hands over power to Corbyn.’
Hammond: ‘We are handing over power to parliament.’
PM: ‘You are handing power over to a junta that includes Jeremy Corbyn.’
Tory rebels emerging from an hour-long meeting with Johnson at Number 10 this morning say that it didn’t shift the dial. PM is said to have told them they could still act after EU council “but there is no trust.”
These are from my colleague Severin Carrell, who has been covering the legal challenge in Edinburgh to the government’s decision to prorogue parliament for five weeks from next week.
Aidan O’Neill QC accuses @GOVUK of treating #courtofsession with “certain degree of contempt” by ignoring court timetable in lodging very late new papers which were also heavily redacted at 10.55pm last night #stopBoris
O’Neill says @GOVUK has refused to lodge govt affidavits to #courtofsession but has filed a copy of one for the Miller case in London, in such a way the witness can’t be properly tested under oath in Edinburgh #stopBoris
O’Neill accuses @UKGOV of deliberately concealing and misleading court over Boris Johnson’s secret decision on 15 August to prorogue. But @UKGOV lawyer had told at the time prorogation challenge was “hypothetical, academic and premature” #stopBoris
David Johnston QC for @GOVUK apologises to court for late note of arguments; blames “fast moving political situation” and “controversial” issues. Lord Doherty chastises UK gov: says dely regrettable but allows them to be admitted #stopBoris
O’Neill cites Boris Johnson stating in private memo: Commons action to stop Brexit “simply a rigmarole for MPs to show that they’re earning their crust”. The PM took the decision on his own, and just told the Cabinet it was happening #StopBoris
#stopBoris case hears Johnson wrote a note to Nikki Da Costa on 16 August saying: “Whole September session [at Westminster] is a rigmarole introduced to show the public that MPs are earning their crust. I don’t see anything especially shocking about this prorogation” 1/2
In other words, the PM had decided in secret to suspend parliament a full 12 days before privy council asked the Queen to prorogue.
On 15 August Da Costa had told Johnson Commons should be prorogued in week of 9 Sept; her memo went to Mark Sedwill, the Cab secretary, Ed Lister, chief of staff, Dominic Cummings and others. Johnson ticked the memo and wrote “yes” #courtofsession #stopBoris
Aidan O’Neill accuses Boris Johnson of “incontinent mendacity… an unwillingness to acknowledge and speak the truth. He has chosen not to be accountable to this court and seeks not to be accountable to parliament” #stopBoris #courtofsession