JEZ GIVE ME NO10
Jeremy Corbyn demands Brexit rebel MPs make him caretaker PM as his price to kill Boris Johnson’s No Deal
JEREMY Corbyn has demanded rebel MPs make him caretaker PM as his price to stop Boris Johnson’s No Deal Brexit.
He wrote to Lib Dems, SNP and senior Tory rebels to offer to table a vote of no confidence in the PM “at the earliest opportunity”.
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But he said he will only strike if they promise to give up on their plot to install a national unity government and hand him the No10 keys.
In return, he would beg the EU to delay Brexit yet again and promise to hold a swift election.
But the SNP’s Ian Blackford chucked cold water on his plot, for now.
He told The Sun: “Of course I’m happy to work with Jeremy Corbyn and others, but the immediate priority is to remove the risk of a self-harming No Deal.
“I believe we can construct a majority that can allow us to seize control of the agenda in Parliament and bring forward legislation to stop us falling out of the EU at the end of October.”
Mr Corbyn needs the backing of the SNP’s 35 MPs to stand any chance of a no-confidence vote succeeding when Parliament returns early next month.
The nationalists say they want to try to stop a No Deal by passing a new law to ban it and extend Article 50 talks instead. Mr Corbyn also went to Plaid Cymru, the Greens, Tory rebels Dominic Grieve, Oliver Letwin, Caroline Spelman, and independent Tory Nick Boles.
He said he would seek to form a “strictly time-limited temporary government” so he could delay Brexit and call an election.
And he said Labour would campaign on the promise of holding another referendum — paving the way to stopping Brexit. He also revealed that civil service boss Sir Mark Sedwill refused to publicly rule out allowing the PM to force through a No Deal Brexit on October 31 if it was mid-election campaign.
Mr Corbyn urged Sir Mark to say he would block Mr Johnson from carrying out the plan. But in a letter Sir Mark dodged the question and simply said he would properly enforce the law.
Jeremy Corbyn's letter to rebel MPs
Last week I wrote to the Cabinet Secretary, Mark Sedwill, for his view on how purdah rules would apply if Parliament is dissolved for a General Election campaign that straddles the Brexit date of 31st October.
I enclose a copy of his non-committal reply, which I received yesterday (13 August) and should inform our discussions.
While it is likely that the issue will be contested in the courts, our priority should be to work together in Parliament to prevent a deeply damaging No Deal being imposed on the country, denying voters the final say.
This government has no mandate for No Deal, and the 2016 EU referendum provided no mandate for No Deal. I therefore intend to table a vote of no confidence at the earliest opportunity when we can be confident of success.
Following a successful vote of no confidence in the government, I would then, as Leader of the Opposition, seek the confidence of the House for a strictly time-limited temporary government with the aim of calling a general election, and securing the necessary extension of Article 50 to do so.
In that general election, Labour will be committed to a public vote on the terms of leaving the European Union, including an option to Remain.
I would welcome the chance to discuss these proposals further with you, which I hope can halt the serious threat of No Deal, end the uncertainty and disarray, and allow the public to decide the best way ahead for our country.
Yours sincerely,
Jeremy Corbyn
Leader of the Opposition
Lib Dem leader Jo Swinson mocked Mr Corbyn’s plan as “a nonsense”.
Green MP Caroline Lucas was also critical, and called for a new Brexit referendum.
A No10 spokesman said the plot shows Mr Corbyn is hellbent on cancelling Brexit.
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Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn says that he is preparing to take Boris Johnson on a general election
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