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Brexit: Britain WILL leave EU by October 31 despite asking for delay, Gove insists as EU give Boris 48-hour lifeline
BRITAIN will leave the European Union by October 31, Michael Gove has insisted, as the EU gave Boris Johnson a 48-hour lifeline to save his deal.
The minister in charge of leaving without a deal said Operation Yellowhammer had officially begun this morning after rebel Tory Oliver Letwin's plot passed yesterday.
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Sir Oliver's amendment kicked the can down the road for a Brexit deal vote, and forced the PM to ask the EU for a third delay to Brexit in a letter last night.
But the PM insisted he did not believe a deal would be the answer, and in two other letters made it clear he did not want it.
This morning Mr Gove insisted that the country was still on track to meet the Brexit deadline of the end of the month.
He told Sky's Sophy Ridge: "We are going to leave by October 31. We have the means and ability to do so.
"We must leave by October 31."
It came as:
- EU leaders gave Boris Johnson a 48-hour lifeline to pass a Commons vote on his deal before they consider an extension
- Ministers revealed they are confident they have the numbers to get Boris' deal through and want to push one through TOMORROW
- Tory rebel Sir Oliver Letwin was revealed to be working with anti-Brexit campaigner Gina Miller's lawyer, Lord Pannick, on his amendment yesterday
- Labour confirmed it would try and bog Boris' deal down with amendments this week - including one on a second referendum
Mr Gove revealed the risk of leaving with No Deal has increased as they cannot guarantee that the EU will grant an extension.
He said he would chair a Cabinet committee meeting today to ensure the next stage of No Deal preparations is in place.
"It means that we are triggering Operation Yellowhammer," he said - the Government's full plan for leaving without a deal.
"We are preparing to ensure that if no extension is granted, that we have done everything possible in order to leave without a deal."
The Cabinet minister said the only reason Boris asked for a delay was because he was forced to - not because he wanted to.
He added: "The extension letter was sent because Parliament required it to be sent. But Parliament can't change the Prime Minister's mind, Parliament can't change the Government's policy."
Parliament has a chance in the days ahead to pass the deal Boris Johnson has brought back from Brussels - and the EU was waiting to see what happens before granting a delay or not, he said.
"There is no profit in delay for anyone," he added. "We know the EU want us to leave.
"We need to get this done."
This morning Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab echoed his comments, and told the BBC this morning: "Yes, I am confident that we will be [out of the EU by October 31.]"
Both ministers said they were sure they now had the numbers now to pass the deal after Boris won a surge of support from Tories and Labour MPs yesterday.
"We seem to have the numbers in the House of Commons," Mr Raab said earlier.
Ex-Tory rebel Amber Rudd today revealed she would back Boris' deal.
She told Sky: "I support the Prime Minister’s deal and I have told him I will support it next week."
EU LIFELINE
EU ambassadors this morning met to discuss what would have been Boris' sealed Brexit deal, if it had been voted through yesterday.
They didn't discuss any delay at the 15-minute meeting.
Instead they will give Boris a vital 48 hour lifeline to see if he can win a vote on his deal, before actively considering his request for a delay.
It's now unlikely that Brussels will formally respond until after the Bill goes to the Commons on Tuesday, heaping pressure on Parliament to vote for the deal.
The EU can grant Boris' request for an extension if they want to, but are working with No10 to try and push MPs into backing the deal.
A possible delay until January 31 is being set. But German MP Norbert Rottgen said the bloc should insist on more than three months to allow the UK “time to sort itself out”.
The PM outlined yesterday how Brussels could reject the delay as they are also aiming for Britain to leave the EU on Halloween.
Mr Johnson pointed out that as the EU leaders "have made it clear they do not want more delay" they could well throw it out.
Yesterday a vote on Boris' deal was scrapped after the rebel Letwin amendment passed.
But ministers have plans for a meaningful vote to happen tomorrow instead.
The Speaker could scupper those plans by arguing that it's the same motion that was brought forward yesterday, but was abandoned when Tory MPs left the Commons in droves.
However, Brexit still won't be secured until the Withdrawal Bill goes through the Commons, which could take days or weeks.
Only when the Bill gets passed into law will Boris finally be able to relax.
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What happens next?
Is the deal dead?: No. Jacob Rees-Mogg told MPs yesterday the Government would hope to give them another meaningful vote on Mr Johnson’s Brussels deal as early as tomorrow.
Downing Street has said the legislation — the Withdrawal Agreement Bill — will be introduced this week. Treasury Minister Simon Clarke insisted: “We will get this done next week.”
Are we going to crash out with No Deal?: MPs backing the Letwin amendment say it offers an insurance policy against leaving the EU without a deal on October 31.
However, it does cast doubt over leaving by the October 31 deadline as scrutiny of the legislation drags on.
Will the EU agree to an extension?: All 27 EU states will decide on what extension to offer but it could be either shorter or longer than the three-month one envisaged by the Benn Act.
They could respond to the letter but wait to see if the Government can get its withdrawal legislation through next week. It could lead to an EU emergency summit on October 28.
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What is Operation Yellowhammer?
Operation Yellowhammer is the Government's contingency plan in the event of a No Deal Brexit.
It was created in June 2018 as a way for the Government to take control and quickly co-ordinate with different agencies to handle any short-term disruption.
It covered 12 areas including energy, food, water, transport and healthcare.
The operation was based on the worst-case scenario assumptions if the UK crashes out of the European Union without a deal.
An Operation Yellowhammer dossier was leaked to on August 18, claiming the UK could face months of disruption
- The Government expects the return of a hard border in Ireland.
- Medical supplies could be "vulnerable to severe extended delays".
- Availability of fresh food could go down, meaning prices will rise, hitting the most vulnerable.
- Up to 85 per cent of lorries using the main Channel crossings "may not be ready" for French customs, and could face delays of up to 2.5 days.
- Months of border delays could "affect fuel distribution", impacting supply in London and the South East.
- Passenger delays at EU airports, as well as St Pancras, Eurotunnel and Dover.
- Rising social care costs.
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DUP THREATS
This morning the DUP issued another threat that they would do all they could to frustrate Boris' Brexit deal going through the House of Commons.
East Antrim MP Sammy Wilson said: "In nearly half of all votes on the issue in Parliament it has been DUP MPs who have ensured progress continued to be made towards our exit from the EU.
"The DUP wants to “get Brexit done” but it must be a Brexit for the whole of the United Kingdom. Our position has been clear and it has been consistent.
"We want to leave as one nation. That remains our goal. If the Prime Minister remains willing to achieve that outcome he will find DUP MPs as willing partners in that project."
Yesterday the DUP were crucial in ensuring the Letwin amendment passed - to the fury of Boris and his team.
The Northern Irish party have vowed to vote down the deal and will wreck it if they can, arguing that it breaks up the UK.
Yesterday Nigel Dodds said the party would examine "all amendments" to the Brexit Bill this week in a warning shot to the PM.
That is likely to involve amendments on a second referendum, or keeping Britain in a customs union after Brexit, and could wreck the PM's chances of passing his deal.
REMAINERS TO AMEND BILL
Labour today said it would bring forward "dozens" of amendments to Boris' bill if it progresses this week.
That will include plans for a second referendum.
Sir Keir Starmer even suggested Labour could vote FOR the Brexit deal if it had the promise of a second Brexit vote on it.
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Super Saturday recap: we look back at the events in parliament as the PM's deal suffers massive blow
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