Johnson lays into Corbyn, ‘the prisoner of Islington’

Boris Johnson was clapped into Westminster by his Tory party as he challenged the opposition parties to unseat his government.

Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn in the House of Commons on Thursdaty. Picture: AFP

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson was clapped into Westminster by his Tory party as he challenged the opposition parties to unseat his government in the first sitting since parliament ­resumed after a constitutional ruling by the Supreme Court.

Mr Johnson spikily ignored calls for his resignation by both the Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and the Scottish National Party politician Ian Blackford during a rowdy sitting of the House of Commons on Wednesday.

He pointedly didn’t apologise for proroguing parliament for five weeks, which has been ruled unlawful and void by a unanimous judgment of the Supreme Court.

“The historical record will reflect all prime ministers have had prorogation: John Major prorogued for several weeks prior to an election. Let’s be clear, we are as one in respecting the Supreme Court and as one in thinking that judgment was wrong,’’ he said.

Mr Johnson goaded Mr Corbyn and minor leaders to support a general election or to castigate him in a confidence vote, saying that instead of letting the voters decide by backing one of the two previous votes for a general election “they ran for the courts’’.

“I followed same process as predecessors, the Supreme Court was asked to intervene and, with respect, I think the court was wrong to decide on a political question,” Mr Johnson said.

“To renounce a political question at a time of great national controversy, have opposition MPs block and delay everything, running to courts to delay even more … this parliament is gridlocked and paralysed and is refusing to deliver on priorities of people.

“I think the humblest and most responsible thing is to show ­respect the judgment of the people and get this country out on ­October 31.’’

Mr Corbyn told the Commons that “no one can trust this Prime Minister … and for the good of this country he should go’’.

Mr Corbyn said he also wanted an election but only after he gets a Brexit extension from the EU.

Mr Johnson then delivered a scathing put-down of Mr Corbyn, whom he said had taken the shilling of the mullahs and that there was something pitiful about him.

“He actually did want to call an election now, but it was censored by the Stasi in the form of the shadow chancellor. He is being gagged, muzzled, held captive. I say free the Islington One,” a mocking reference to Mr Corbyn’s north London constituency.

Mr Blackford, the Scottish National Party’s Westminster leader, said the SNP would support a vote of no confidence in Mr Johnson if moved by Labour to enforce the Brexit delay bill moved by ­former Labour cabinet minister Hilary Benn, which passed the Commons with the ­support of Labour and 21 rebel Tory MPs.

“(Mr Johnson) should resign, but if he fails to do so, the opposition must unite to trigger a vote of no confidence and ensure the Benn Act is honoured to take no-deal off the table,” he said. “This would allow the opposition too instil an interim prime minister … then once removed the threat of no deal the people must have their say.”

Mr Johnson was castigated for referring to the Benn Act, which demands he ask the EU for an extension and rule out a no-deal Brexit, as the “surrender act’’.

He said it called it the surrender act because it obliges the UK to stay in the EU for month after month at a cost of £1bn per month and takes away the ability to ­decide how long that extension would be and undermines the ability to negotiate properly in Brussels.

Mr Johnson also confirmed he had spoken to the Queen but would not divulge the content of their conversation.

He raised the ire of parliament when he remarked that the best way to honour Jo Cox — the ­Labour MP murdered by a far-right protester more than three years ago for her pro-remain views — was to “get Brexit done’’.

Mr Corbyn called for Speaker John Bercow to bring party leaders together to issue a joint declaration opposing abusive language.