London: Britain’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson issued Sunday a stark warning to rebels within his own Conservative Party to fall in line with his Brexit plans or risk a government led by Opposition Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn.
The warning came amid reports of secret government plans to de-select Tory MPs who vote against Boris Johnson in order to block a no-deal Brexit, as Opposition MPs plan urgent legislation to be tabled when the UK Parliament resumes Tuesday after its summer recess.
The urgency follows Boris Johnson’s announcement to suspend Parliament from the week of September 9 until October 14, depriving MPs of crucial sitting days in which to scrutinise Brexit plans and triggering street protests Saturday by thousands across the UK against what has been branded a ‘coup’ by the British Prime Minister.
“Jeremy Corbyn has made a historic decision to turn his party into the anti-democratic, referendum-cancelling party. That’s his decision. I think it’s totally wrong,” Johnson was quoted as saying by the ‘The Sunday Times’.
“”I just say to everybody in the country, including everyone in Parliament, the fundamental choice is this. Are you going to side with Jeremy Corbyn and those who want to cancel the referendum; are you going to side with those who want to scrub the democratic verdict of the people and plunge this country into chaos? Or are you going to side with those of us who want to get on, deliver on the mandate of the people and focus with absolute, laser-like precision on the domestic agenda. That’s the choice,” asserted Johnson.
The UK is set to leave the European Union (EU), with or without an agreement in place, by October 31 after the June 2016 referendum in favour of Brexit.
Johnson took charge at Downing Street in July with a ‘do or die’ pledge on Brexit, demanding that the EU re-consider the controversial Irish backstop before any withdrawal agreement can be finalised for the so-called divorce.
However, the EU has remained firm on what it believes is a non-negotiable insurance policy against a post-Brexit hard border between EU member-country Ireland and UK territory Northern Ireland.
“The one thing that could undermine the UK’s ability to negotiate would be Brussels thinking there’s some chance that the referendum could be cancelled and that Brexit could be blocked,” Johnson said, in a warning to MPs finalising legislation to block a no-deal chaotic Brexit.
“The people who claim to be campaigning against no deal are making no deal more likely. That’s the problem,” claimed Johnson.
Labour’s shadow Brexit secretary Kier Starmer disagreed with this stance, saying legislation was essential to prevent a damaging Brexit.
PTI