Boris Johnson threatens rebel MPs with having whip removed

Rebel MPs who block no-deal will lose the whip and be banned from standing as Tories.

Boris Johnson has threatened to remove the whip from rebel Tories. Picture: AFP.

Boris Johnson raised the stakes against Tory rebels last night by promising to remove the whip from any who vote to block a no-deal Brexit and ban them from standing as a Conservative candidate at the next election.

The prime minister issued the threat as opposition leaders and some Tories prepared to force through legislation compelling the government to secure another delay if there was no agreement with the European Union.

No 10 is braced for John Bercow, the Speaker, to allow the coalition opposed to no-deal to seize control of the Commons agenda as soon as MPs return from their summer break tomorrow.

Sir Keir Starmer, the shadow Brexit secretary, said yesterday that the so-called rebel alliance had settled on a “very simple plan” for legislation that would make a no-deal Brexit unlawful, without giving further details.

Thousands demonstrated across Britain at the weekend against Boris Johnson’s move to prorogue parliament. Picture: AFP.

In response Michael Gove suggested that the government may refuse to abide by new legislation. Then, in a further escalation, Mr Johnson signed off on a threat to remove the whip from rebels. The prime minister took the decision after a lunchtime meeting at Chequers with Mark Spencer, the chief whip, other Conservative whips and officials including Dominic Cummings, his most senior adviser.

“The whips are telling Conservative MPs today a very simple message — if they fail to vote with the government on Tuesday they will be destroying the government’s negotiating position and handing control of parliament to Jeremy Corbyn,” a senior source in the whips’ office said. “Any Conservative MP who does this will have the whip withdrawn and will not stand as a Conservative candidate in an election.

“There is a chance of a deal only because Brussels realises the prime minister is totally committed to leaving on October 31. All MPs face a simple choice on Tuesday: to vote with the government and preserve the chance of a deal or vote with Corbyn and destroy any chance of a deal.”

Last night Mr Johnson cancelled a planned meeting with a group of Tory rebels, citing a “diary clash”, while Philip Hammond, the former chancellor, turned down the offer of a one-to-one meeting later today. David Gauke, the former justice secretary, suggested that he was willing to lose the whip if Mr Johnson carried out his threat, suggesting that it would split the Conservative party.

Several leading rebels said that they were prepared to stand as “independent Conservatives” in their constituencies. One said that Tory voters would be repelled by the mass purge and that millions would fail the “purity test” being demanded of MPs of supporting a no-deal Brexit.

Pressed repeatedly on whether the government would abide by a successful attempt by Commons opponents to pass legislation preventing a no-deal withdrawal on October 31, Mr Gove told The Andrew Marr Show on BBC One: “Let’s see what the legislation says. You’re asking me about a pig in a poke. And I will wait to see what legislation the opposition may try to bring forward.”

He added: “For me, the most important thing is to bear in mind, actually, is we already have legislation in place which an overwhelming majority of MPs voted for. We already have an EU Withdrawal Act, we already have the notice on Article 50, the process by which we leave the EU.”

Guto Bebb, the Conservative MP, said that Mr Gove’s comments were “a disgrace to our democracy”. The former minister added: “Not only are they suspending parliament to try to force through a disastrous no-deal, but now they are suggesting that even if parliament passed a law requiring the government to avoid no-deal they might simply ignore it. Our very democracy is now under threat from Boris Johnson and his government.”

One senior minister suggested that the move was an attempt to “provoke [opposition MPs] into a no-confidence motion and an early election”.

Tony Blair will urge Mr Corbyn today not to fall into “the elephant trap” of precipitating a poll. He will praise Mr Corbyn for backing away from an initial demand that MPs install him as a caretaker prime minister and urge him to maintain a strategic approach.

The Times