Tory Brexiteer Dominic Raab ‘may drag the Queen into Brexit’ as he threatens to shut down Parliament to get No Deal
DOMINIC Raab was last night accused of dragging the Queen into the Brexit row by threatening to suspend Parliament to force a No Deal.
The Brexiteer refused to rule out using the nuclear option of dissolving the Commons to ensure Britain leaves the EU on October 31.
Mr Raab suggested he may prorogue Parliament so pro-Remain MPs can't pass a law delaying or cancelling Brexit.
That would involve going to the Queen to do so, possibly dragging her into the political mess.
The incendiary move came in a second Tory leadership hustings in Westminster.
Home Secretary Sajid Javid branded the idea “complete nonsense”.
“It’s anti-democratic, and anti-British,” he stormed.
Tory MP Mel Stride – a Michael Gove supporter – blasted: “I do think that Her majesty should be kept out of the politics of our Parliament.”
Matt Hancock lashed the plan as “not a serous policy of a prime minister in the 21st century.
While Rory Stewart said it is “unlawful, undemocratic and achievable”.
Backbencher Antoinette Sandbach said the comment was met with a “deathly silence” in a room of 80 MPs.
And Amber Rudd stormed: “It is outrageous to consider proroguing Parliament.”
Rory Stewart, an outside contender for No10, blasted: "You can try to lock the gates of Parliament. But to do so for this purpose would be unlawful."
'SIMPLY NOT GOING TO HAPPEN'
Pro-EU Commons Speaker John Bercow told MPs: "Parliament will not be evacuated from the centre stage of the decision-making process on this important matter. That is simply not going to happen."
“It seems so blindingly obvious that it almost doesn’t need to be stated.”
Allies of Mr Raab hit back at the Speaker by urging critics to remember his own interventions in the past year.
Mr Bercow was accused of masterminding a Remain “stitch up” in January by forcing the Government to set out a Brexit Plan B when a vote on her deal was lost.
An MP backing Mr Raab last night said: “Dominic made clear that he would use every lever of the executive to ensure that the UK can leave the EU at the end of October.
“He also made clear that anyone who rules out any options or signals that they would take no deal off the table and that they would allow further extensions is just weakening our negotiating leverage in Brussels.”
Both rivals Michael Gove - who says he could delay Brexit beyond October 31 - and Matt Hancock ruled out Raab's idea.
Mr Hancock sent a letter to all candidates today, saying: "To suspend Parliament explicitly to pursue a course of action against its wishes is not a serious policy of a Prime Minister in the 21st century."
He called on the other contenders to join him in pledging never to prorogue the Commons for political ends.
Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt didn’t rule it out – but said it wouldn’t work. And he joked the last time anybody tried to dissolve Parliament, it led to the English civil war.
Mr Hunt last night hailed his entrepreneurial skills and experience as Foreign Secretary as the reason why he was the best candidate to get a Brexit deal done.
And he insisted he wasn’t “Theresa in trousers” as he hit back at those claiming he would simply carry on with Theresa May’s policies.
He told MPs: “There is a deal here and we have a responsibility to find it. If we go to the EU and put a gun to their head they’re going to walk.”
Mr Hunt, the leading Remainer in the race, could get the key endorsement of Ms Rudd in the coming days.
A source close to her suggested she was likely to back him but was also considering Mr Gove and Mr Hancock.
Today Andrea Leadsom laid out her Brexit plan - vowing to step up No Deal preparations and confront Brussels.
Timetable of Tory leadership election which will pick new PM
June 7: Theresa May stands down as party leader but will continue as PM until her successor is elected
June 10: Nominations for the leadership open 10am-5pm; candidates must have the support of eight MPs
June 13: First ballot of MPs, open 10am-12pm; any candidate with fewer than 13 votes eliminated
June 18: Second ballot (if needed), open 3pm-5pm; any candidate with fewer than 33 votes eliminated
June 19: Third ballot (if needed), open 3pm-5pm; candidate with fewest votes eliminated
June 20: Fourth ballot (if needed), open 10am-12pm; candidate with fewest votes eliminated
June 22: Second stage begins where votes shift from MPs to party activists who will choose between final two candidates
July 22: Result announced this week, in time for Commons recess to begin
Boris Johnson got a boost as Remainer MP Damian Collins endorsed his campaign, saying: "In these challenging times, I believe that a dynamic force is a very necessary thing."
And Sajid Javid secured the backing of top Brexiteer Digby Jones, former head of the CBI business group.
But outsider Sam Gyimah slammed rivals who claim they can get a better Brexit deal than Theresa May, accusing them of "Trumpian machismo".
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