Monday, 18 Nov 2024

Brexit masterplan: Boris Johnson’s secret tactics to defeat Remainer rebels

The Prime Minister is said to be drawing up a series of extreme measures to run down the clock and help stop Jeremy Corbyn’s Brexit wrecking plans. Boris Johnson sparked outrage on Wednesday when he asked the Queen to suspend parliament for over a month ahead of Brexit, a move that limits the time Remainers have to derail a no deal exit but increases the chance that the Prime Minister could face a vote of no-confidence in his government.

But his senior aides, including Brexit mastermind Dominic Cummings and Nikki da Costa, have used the August holidays to quietly plot how to react to rebel MPs determined to take Britain’s exit from the EU off course, according to BuzzFeed News.

Under a “war games” strategy laid out by the Tory leader’s senior aides Mr Johnson could refuse to resign even if he loses a vote of no confidence.

Number 10 is also said to be considering a disrupting “time bomb” Northern Ireland debate, which could be used by rebels to block Brexit due on September 9.

Another reported measure would be to create new bank holidays to stop the House of Commons from being recalled during the prorogation period.

Mr Johnson could introduce a new budget to create debates in the Commons, which would take MPs desperate to block Brexit off course.

In another bid to eat up time for rebel MPs to block Brexit, Mr Johnson is considering giving new titles to Brexiteer peers in the House of Lords to destroy any rebel bill.

The government could also filibuster any Remainer bill in the House of Lords, to block a no deal Brexit.

They could also use the prorogation period to “kill” any Remainer bill, which would force MPs to table it again after the Queen’s Speech on October 14.

Mr Johnson’s senior aides are also looking to advise the Queen to reject giving royal assent to any legislation which would delay the UK’s exit from the bloc.

A Whitehall source told BuzzFeed: “This is the biggest parliamentary showdown since the Civil War. It will come down to who is cleverer: Dom and Nikki or John Bercow and Dominic Grieve.”

Remainer MPs have stepped up their revolt to stop Britain leaving the EU without a deal on Halloween after the monarch approved Mr Johnson’s request to suspend parliament for more than a month before the October 31 exit deadline.

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Barry Gardiner, Labour’s shadow international trade secretary, said Labour and opposition parties will still go ahead with attempts to block a no deal Brexit.

Thousands of people rallied for hours outside Parliament on Wednesday night and there were smaller demonstrations in other towns and cities.

The plan to suspend Parliament was heavily criticised by opposition parties and some Tory MPs and there are legal challenges in English and Scottish courts.

On Wednesday, Mr Johnson said he wanted to prorogue Parliament in order to bring the current record-breaking session to a close in order to bring forward his Government’s new legislative agenda.

But furious opponents, including Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, House of Commons Speaker John Bercow and former attorney general Dominic Grieve, accused the Prime Minister of trying to halt their efforts to block a no deal Brexit.

MPs will return to Parliament on Tuesday, but just over a week later on September 10, at the earliest, Parliament could be prorogued until October 14 ahead of a Queen’s Speech.

Mr Johnson’s prorogation plan came just a day after opposition leaders struck a deal to try to block a no-deal Brexit through legislative means.

Liberal Democrat leader Jo Swinson told the BBC’s Newsnight programme that anti-no-deal MPs could use “arcane and unusual” legislative routes to try to block the UK leaving the EU without a deal.

She added: “There are legislative avenues being explored between cross-party groups of members of Parliament with legal and constitutional experts looking at how this can be done, and different routes.

“We have got a Government that is prepared to take unprecedented routes and so we are looking at options as well that might be arcane or unusual that could be employed.”

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