Labour, rebel MPs to sit over weekend

Tory rebels have drawn up plans with Labour rivals to sit next weekend in defiance of Boris Johnson.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn in Dunfermline, on the first day of a three day tour of Scottish constituencies. Picture: Getty Images

Tory rebels have drawn up plans with Labour for parliament to sit next weekend as House of Commons leader Jacob Rees-Mogg in effect dared them to try to change the law to block a no-deal Brexit.

The MPs believe they can seize control of business in the Commons and pass the legislation needed to force Prime Minister Boris Johnson to request an extension of Article 50 in only three days next week.

A senior Tory Remainer said, however, that as a “back-up” they were also trying to ensure the Commons and the House of Lords could sit over the weekend of ­September 7-8.

Mr Rees-Mogg yesterday appeared to taunt Remainers as he questioned whether they were prepared to block Brexit by either changing the law or voting down the government.

“All these people who are wailing and gnashing of teeth know that there are two ways of doing what they want to do,” he said. “One is to change the government and the other is to change the law. If they do either of those, that will then have an effect.

“If they don’t have either the courage or the gumption to do ­either of those, then we will leave on October 31 in accordance with the referendum result.”

A Tory Remainer hit back, saying Mr Rees-Mogg needed to “grow up” and be “less patronising”.

The Commons has sat on a Saturday on four occasions since 1939, including at the outbreak of the World War II, during the Suez ­crisis of 1956 and the invasion of the Falklands in 1982.

The plans are a response to Mr Johnson’s decision to suspend parliament for a month before a Queen’s Speech on October 14, limiting the time MPs have to stop a no-deal. Hard-left supporters of Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn have also pledged to hold mass ­rallies across the country. Crowds of anti-Brexit protesters are targeting MPs in their constituency offices and homes.

A senior Tory rebel said they were considering taking “total control” of the order paper on Wednesday to push through legislation to stop a no-deal. Tory rebel David Gauke, a former justice secretary, said next week could be the “only opportunity” for MPs to stop a no-deal as he conceded options had “now narrowed”.

“That would suggest we need to move sooner rather than later,” he told the BBC. Downing Street rebuked Defence Secretary Ben Wallace after he suggested Mr Johnson’s decision to prorogue parliament had been motivated by Brexit. He was caught on camera speaking to French Armed Forces Minister Florence Parly in ­Helsinki and seemed unaware ­microphones were on.

On Wednesday, the Prime Minister wrote to MPs to say his decision to suspend parliament had been made to enable his government to present a new legislative agenda through a Queen’s Speech. Mr Wallace appeared to suggest Mr Johnson’s action had been motivated by the difficulty of having “no majority” in the Commons. A No 10 source said Mr Wallace “misspoke”. With the support of 10 Democratic Unionist MPs, the Tories have a single-seat majority.

Mr Johnson said it was time to “up the tempo” in an attempt to reach a deal and his Brexit team would meet negotiators in Brussels twice a week next month.

Mr Corbyn said Labour would join forces with MPs from across the Commons to attempt to “politically stop” the prorogation of parliament. He issued a joint statement with opposition leaders demanding a vote on whether parliament should be suspended.

Shadow chancellor John McDonnell compared Mr Johnson to a “dictator”, drawing comparisons with Nazi Germany. “I don’t think the British people will tolerate that,” he said. “They have stood up to dictators before and they will stand up to this one as well.”

Peers opposed to no-deal are gearing up for late-night battles with the government. Brexiteer peers are expected to attempt a filibuster to delay the passage of legislation through the upper chamber. Labour peers believe they can outmanoeuvre Brexiteers. “We can see them off but we’ll have to stay up all night to do it,” a source said.

The Times