Boris Johnson news – live: PM refuses to resign and says he’d rather be ‘dead in a ditch’ than seek Brexit delay
All the latest developments as they happened
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Boris Johnson refused to resign in the wake of his own brother’s decision to quit the government over an “unresolvable tension” between the national interest and family ties. Jo Johnson also announced his intention to stand down at the next election.
After a meandering speech in West Yorkshire, the prime minister was asked if he would follow his younger sibling out of the doors of parliament but said: “My job is to get us out on 31 October and that is what we’re going to do.”
And things went from bad to worse for the prime minister, as one man politely asked him to “please leave my town”, while another heckled him in front of TV cameras in Morley.
It all comes after the PM suffered a crushing double defeat in the Commons as MPs pushed through a bill to block a no-deal Brexit and voted down his plan to hold a snap general election.
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Lib Dem leader Jo Swinson has spoken about her fears Boris Johnson could try to crash us out of the EU without a deal with “tricks”, despite MPs having already approved legislation designed to prevent a no-deal exit.
She said: “I do have confidence that the bill will get through the House of Lords.
“But in the current circumstances where we find ourselves, where we’ve got a prime minister seemingly prepared to do anything to rip up the traditions of parliamentary democracy, then I also think that we need to be very aware of the risks.
“Thinking ahead to any tricks the prime minister might have up his sleeve to nonetheless crash us out of the European Union.”
The MP for East Dunbartonshire is confident her party is ready for a general election. “We are selecting candidates right across the country and we know from our polling that hundreds of seats are now in play for the Liberal Democrats.
“In the current political environment, anything is possible. We have had so many instances in recent years where people have made political predictions, assumed that the old rules apply.”
A group of 100 “One Nation” Tories have signed a letter urging Boris Johnson to reverse his decision to expel the 21 rebel MPs.
It’s now clear the 21 parliamentarians who had the whip removed won’t be able to stand as Conservative candidates when an election comes.
Philip Hammond, David Gauke and Rory Stewart are now expected to run as “independent Conservatives”.
Simon Hoare MP is one of those very unhappy about the so-called “purge”.
Jess Phillips says Brexit isn’t a playground game, but compares Boris Johnson to Biff from Back to the Future.
Let’s not forget the suspension of parliament is coming early next week. And Boris Johnson is facing a fresh legal attack over prorogation today.
A hearing at the High Court in London begins this morning. The bid to challenge the legality of the move will be heard by the Lord Chief Justice Lord Burnett and two other leading judges.
An urgent application was launched by anti-Brexit campaigner Gina Miller. Former PM Sir John Major and three other parties have been given the go-ahead to join her legal action.
The judges will initially consider whether the case can proceed – if they rule that it can, then a full airing of the issue will follow immediately.
A spokeswoman for the judiciary said: “The court will consider the request for the case to be heard, and if it agrees, a full hearing will follow the same day. The hearing is listed for a full day.”
She said: “There will be no witnesses and submissions will be made by legal representatives.”
So just how are the Conservatives going to keep the show on the road during an election campaign?
Several rebel Tory MPs are still considering whether it’s worth fighting deselection.
One rebel told The Times that local association squabbles – and the likelihood most will stand as “independent Conservatives” – could make any election “very messy for the government. I don’t think they have really thought about that”.
Sam Gyimah MP – one of the 21 rebels – has suggested the loyal Tories haven’t thought through the consequences of backing no-deal “do or die” policy.
Chancellor Sajid Javid today Radio 4’s Today programme that he was “sad to see 21 colleagues, 21 Conservatives no longer carrying the Conservative whip, of course I am, these are my friends, these are good people”.
He added: “But they also knew that when the prime minister of the day says a vote is a matter of confidence what would be the consequences of opposing that.”
But Javid has also been talking to Nick Ferrari on LBC this morning, and seemed to offer an olive branch. Or at least the idea of olive branch being offered in future.
Here, in a nutshell, is what Jeremy Corbyn has to wrestle with over the next few days. He has a massive decision to make on Boris Johnson’s general election challenge before Monday.
Michel Barnier, the EU’s chief Brexit negotiator, believes “we are currently in a state of paralysis”.
In a leaked diplomatic note seen by the Financial Times, Barnier told EU member state envoys that the Brexit talks have reached an impasse.
Apparently Barnier also warned the diplomats that the UK was determined to “diverge” from EU standards in any future free trade deal.
Robert Peston has got wind of a possible campaign slogan being tested out by Dominic Cummings and his team: “trust the people”.
Labour, if they agree to an election, will no doubt be telling the electorate Boris Johnson cannot be trusted.
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