Boris Johnson news – live: PM loses second attempt to trigger early general election
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No 10 has announced that a five-week suspension parliament will begin tonight, as Boris Johnson’s flies back from his first official meeting with Irish counterpart Leo Varadkar in Dublin.
It comes as the prime minister sets up a possible Brexit showdown in the Supreme Court after it emerged No 10 is ready to launch a legal fight against the anti-no deal legislation.
Mr Johnson is also reportedly ready to send a second letter to the EU – alongside the request for a three-month delay required of him – explaining he does not actually want any delay after 31 October. Labour figures branded the plan “illegal” and “monumentally ridiculous”.
Nigel Farage has been shouting from the rooftops about an electoral arrangement with the Tories.
Since the Tories aren’t listening, so Farage has decided to unilaterally enact his “non-aggression pact” whether No 10 likes it or not.
His Brexit Party will not stand against the 28 Tory MPs in the European Research Group – the gang of Brexiteer ultras that includes Mark Francois and Steve Baker.
Farage explained the plan on Good Morning Britain.
Get ready for impeachment to become a Westminster talking point, as well as a Washington one.
Plaid Cymru’s Westminster leader Liz Saville Roberts has said opposition leaders should be ready to impeach Boris Johnson if he tries to ignore legislation requiring him to seek another Brexit extension.
Saville Roberts said that Johnson had previously backed an attempt in 2004 to impeach the then prime minister Tony Blair over the Iraq war.
“Boris Johnson has already driven a bulldozer through the constitution, so no longer are ideas like impeachment far-fetched,” she said.
“I will tell other opposition party leaders, we need to be ready to impeach Boris Johnson if he breaks the law.
“We cannot play the prime minister at his own cynical game. We need to be ready to fight fire with water, outsmart the smartest, think the unthinkable.
“No one is above the law, Boris Johnson shouldn’t risk finding that out the hard way.”
Impeachment is not the only wild idea in the air at the moment. A scenario in which Boris Johnson goes to prison is also being discussed.
At the weekend, Lord Macdonald, a former director of public prosecutions, said Boris Johnson, like any citizen, would be jailed if they failed to “purge their contempt”.
“A refusal in the face of that would amount to contempt of court which could find that person in prison,” he said.
Tory rebel Dominic Grieve, a former attorney general, said: “If he continues, then a legal challenge will be brought in court to order the government to comply, and it will include, if necessary, an injunction requiring him to do this.
“If he doesn't do that he could be brought before the court and, technically speaking, he could be sent to prison for contempt.”
Irish prime minister Leo Varadkar has welcomed his British counterpart to Dublin at the door. Boris Johnson was overheard mentioning the “very well behaved press”.
Varadkar said: “We both agree we have much to discuss, we accept the democratic and sovereign decisions to leave the EU.
“However in my view the story of Brexit won’t end if the UK leaves the EU the 31st October or 31st of January.
“There is no such thing as a clean break.”
Leo Varadkar and Boris Johnson (Getty)
Speaking alongside Varadkar, Boris Johnson said: “We must restore the government in Stormont ... and of course we must get Brexit done. We must come out of the EU by October 31st or else I fear permanent damage will be done.”
He said the UK would “never, ever institute checks at the (Irish) border”.
Johnson also claimed he would “overwhelmingly prefer” to get a deal.
“I want to find a deal. I want to get a deal. Like you I’ve looked carefully at no deal … and yes of course we could do it … but that outcome would be a failure of statecraft for which we would all be responsible.”
Leo Varadkar tells Boris Johnson he’s yet to receive “realistic, legally-binding and workable” plans to replace the backstop.
Boris Johnson is asked: “When you talk about people being dead in ditches, there is a sense that you don’t really understand what is at stake here … when did you last visit the [Irish] border?”
Johnson says in reply that everyone understands the political sensitivities of the border, before saying: “But also we must allow UK democratic decision to be honoured, I genuinely think it can be done, there is a way forward and I'm delighted it's been approached in a positive way in Dublin.”
He also claimed “an abundance of proposals” for the alternative to the backstop.
Here’s the moment Johnson said a no-deal outcome “would be a failure of statecraft for which we would all be responsible”.
Some reaction to that joint press conference in Dublin, in which Leo Varadkar admonished Boris Johnson for not presenting any alternative to the backstop.
Jailed far-right activist Tommy Robinson appears to have provided an endorsement for Boris Johnson. The operators of Robinson’s official Telegram channel called on Sunday evening for supporters to “back Boris”.
Tom Embury-Dennis has all the details.
Here’s our political editor Andrew Woodcock on Leo Varadkar pouring cold water on Boris Johnson’s claims progress is being made on a Brexit deal.
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