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Johnson could sacrifice majority by withdrawing whip from rebel MPs
Source: The Guardian
Johnson could sacrifice majority by withdrawing whip from rebel MPs
Rebel Tories face deselection over Brexit, as PM abruptly cancels meeting with group including ex-ministers
Jessica Elgot Chief political correspondent
@jessicaelgot
Sun 1 Sep 2019 22.00 BST Last modified on Sun 1 Sep 2019 22.31 BST
Boris Johnson is prepared to blow up his own parliamentary majority and withdraw the whip from dozens of Conservative MPs if they back plans to stop no-deal Brexit, Tory whips have warned potential rebels, in an extreme move by Downing Street that would pave the way for an imminent general election.
As hostilities escalated, Johnson also signalled how serious his intention is to follow through the threat of deselection by abruptly ripping up plans for a meeting with rebellious former ministers, including Philip Hammond and David Gauke, that had been billed as a last-ditch effort to limit support for the action in parliament.
Hammond was offered a one-to-one meeting with the prime minister which he declined, calling it “discourteous” to cancel on the group.
“There has been very little attempt at engagement with us, but these people were going in seeking proof of genuine attempts to get a Brexit deal,” one source close to the MPs said. “The fact it had been cancelled at short notice suggests there isn’t a proper negotiation going on. The next point of engagement will be in the voting lobbies.”
The former cabinet ministers supporting a cross-party bid to stop no deal fought back on Sunday night, telling MPs they must be prepared to take the government to court if it defied any law passed by rebel MPs in parliament.
-snip-
Rebel Tories face deselection over Brexit, as PM abruptly cancels meeting with group including ex-ministers
Jessica Elgot Chief political correspondent
@jessicaelgot
Sun 1 Sep 2019 22.00 BST Last modified on Sun 1 Sep 2019 22.31 BST
Boris Johnson is prepared to blow up his own parliamentary majority and withdraw the whip from dozens of Conservative MPs if they back plans to stop no-deal Brexit, Tory whips have warned potential rebels, in an extreme move by Downing Street that would pave the way for an imminent general election.
As hostilities escalated, Johnson also signalled how serious his intention is to follow through the threat of deselection by abruptly ripping up plans for a meeting with rebellious former ministers, including Philip Hammond and David Gauke, that had been billed as a last-ditch effort to limit support for the action in parliament.
Hammond was offered a one-to-one meeting with the prime minister which he declined, calling it “discourteous” to cancel on the group.
“There has been very little attempt at engagement with us, but these people were going in seeking proof of genuine attempts to get a Brexit deal,” one source close to the MPs said. “The fact it had been cancelled at short notice suggests there isn’t a proper negotiation going on. The next point of engagement will be in the voting lobbies.”
The former cabinet ministers supporting a cross-party bid to stop no deal fought back on Sunday night, telling MPs they must be prepared to take the government to court if it defied any law passed by rebel MPs in parliament.
-snip-
Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/sep/01/boris-johnson-brexit-sacrifice-majority-by-withdrawing-whip-from-rebel-mps
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