The former Tory minister argued that the MP for Leicester West had become “complacent about her seat” when she tried to suggest that the Conservative Party was complacent about the implications of Brexit. Ms Kendall told BBC’s This Week show that she thought Brexit “is the greatest threat to the union combined with Sottish nationalism.” She continued: “We haven’t had people standing up and arguing that our futures are interlinked, that we are better when we work together.

“Someone setting out a positive case for why we want to be part of the United Kingdom in a European Union.

“As a Labour person who believes that through the strength of our common endeavour we achieve more than we do alone, I want to hear that argued far more.

“And I’m afraid, Michael, elements of the Conservative Party have been complacent.”

Without hesitation, Mr Portillo fired back: “You’ve been complacent about your seat.

JUST IN: EU’s arrogant riling of Brexiteers and failure to keep UK in Europe is ‘dark stain’ – MEP

“Because you used to sit on this sofa and say ‘I’m going to listen to my constituents, they voted Leave.’”

Fuming, Ms Kendall snapped: “And I have.

“But I have never said that I will lie to them and pretend that Brexit will sort out their problems with jobs, with lack of funding in the public services, with the sense that they have been left behind.”

But Mr Portillo pressed: “No, but you did once say that you’d respect their views.”

Boris Johnson has said it would be “absolutely folly” to rule out suspending Parliament to force through a no-deal Brexit against the will of MPs.

The former foreign secretary said in a Tory leadership hustings that the controversial measure should remain as “an essential tool of our negotiation”.

The MP has previously declined to rule it out, but the comments are his strongest signal yet that “proroguing” Parliament should remain an option.

Meanwhile, his rival, Jeremy Hunt, conceded the winner of the contest could spend the shortest time as prime minister in history and said he would resign if he failed to deliver Brexit.

Mr Johnson told party members in Bournemouth on Thursday evening that he wanted to be the prime minister of “representative democracy, a great representative democracy in which we believe in our elected representatives to take the right decision”.

DON’T MISS
‘Will they stop at nothing?’ Brexiteer fury as Grieve rallies Remainers to cut off No.10 [BREAKING]
Scottish Lord destroys ‘incredible’ SNP independence dream to remain in EU but outside UK [REVEAL]
Question Time audience laughs at Labour Brexit stance – ‘More positions than Kama Sutra’ [VIDEO]

“I would rather than confiding in this archaic device to get this thing done at my own behest, I would rather confide in the maturity of common sense of parliamentarians, all of whom are now staring down the barrel of public distrust,” he said.

But he was challenged to categorically rule out taking the drastic measure.

“I’m not attracted to the idea of a no-deal exit from the EU but, you know, I think it would be absolutely folly to rule it out. I think it’s an essential tool of our negotiation,” he replied.

“I don’t envisage the circumstances in which it will be necessary to prorogue Parliament, nor am I attracted to that expedient.”

Since-eliminated contenders for the Tory crown, including Sajid Javid, Rory Stewart and Michael Gove, have previously roundly criticised the notion, which could drag the Queen into a constitutional crisis.

Source: Read Full Article