Brexit news: Ken Clarke prepared to be caretaker PM as senior Tory rebels join Swinson in rejecting Corbyn
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Your support makes all the difference.Tory veteran Ken Clarke has said he is willing to be a prime minister to stop a no-deal Brexit after he was nominated by the Liberal Democrats.
"I wouldn't reject it, if it was the judgement of people that it was the only way forward,” he said.
It follows criticism over Lib Dem leader Jo Swinson’s rejection of Jeremy Corbyn’s plan to lead a caretaker government. The Labour leader said it was “not up to Jo Swinson” who becomes the next PM.
Senior Tory rebel Dominic Grieve, meanwhile, said he would “not facilitate” having Mr Corbyn at No 10 temporarily.
This is what Ken Clarke, the Father of the House, told Radio 4's PM programme when asked about the proposal that either he or Harriet Harman, the longest-serving female MP, become caretaker prime minister.
If it was the only way in which the plain majority of the House of Commons opposed to a no-deal exit could find a way for it, I wouldn't object to it. I think Harriet would say the same thing.
He said that he indicated this to Jo Swinson two weeks ago before he went on holiday, but added that it was "just one feature of a very important debate."
Mr Clarke added: "I haven't been taking part in any talks with anybody over the past few weeks."
Mr Clarke also rejected Jeremy Corbyn's claims that he, as leader of the opposition, should be the first to be called to form a new government.
He said he thought it was "very unlikely" that the Labour Party can win an election.
Mr Clarke added that none of the three previous governments of national unity were led by the leader of the largest political party.
"He [Jeremy Corbyn] will have to do what the previous party leaders did and let somebody else lead it, because that's the only way to get a group together."
Mr Clarke said his government of national unity would be a "single-issue, short-term government" with a policy to "sort out Brexit".
"I think it would seek an extension, actually put together a mandate for discussions that the majority of the House of Commons approved of, and a mandate that the Europeans would not resist - like staying in the customs union, staying in regulatory alignment, keeping our free flows of trade and investment, protecting our jobs and our key sectors of business and agriculture in this country.
"Then, once it had got that under way and set, it would call an election probably or resign and let's see if Parliament could form a party government of any kind that took it all forward and started resuming other politics."
Here's deputy political editor Rob Merrick with the full story on Ken Clarke's declaration that he is prepared to become caretaker prime minister to block a no-deal Brexit.
Ken Clarke's comments were swiftly rejected by Nigel Evans, a member of the 1922 Committee of Conservative backbench MPs.
He told the BBC: "We've filled the vacancy with Boris Johnson and so I really don't know what Ken is talking about.
"It does seem to be Westminster meets La La Land because it's not as if these ideas are half-baked, I really don't think they've been anywhere near an oven."
Anna Soubry, leader of the Independent Group for Change, has confirmed that she would also "not support nor facilitate any government led by Jeremy Corbyn".
She said: "He cannot command unity of support amongst his own MPs but now Jeremy Corbyn calls on the rest of us to back him as 'unity' Prime Minister.
"And we won't even get a People's Vote but instead a general election which as we know will solve nothing."
However Mr Corbyn's plan has won the potential backing of the SNP, Plaid Cymru and Tory MP Guto Bebb.
Boris Johnson will meet Emmanuel Macron and Angela Merkel to discuss Brexit early next week, according to reports.
However the prime minister's trips to Paris and Berlin, said to be taking place on Monday and Tuesday, have not yet been officially confirmed.
Boris Johnson's partner Carrie Symonds has said politicians have a "gigantic responsibility to make the right decisions" over the environmental crisis.
Making her first solo public appearance since moving into Downing Street, Ms Symonds expressed optimism that the number of people who care about the environment "far outnumber the people who don't".
"There are no simple answers to the environmental crisis this planet faces," she said.
"It is immensely complicated. There is no escaping the fact that politicians, business leaders and journalists have a gigantic responsibility to make the right decisions, to change the way they do business and report the truth about what is happening in the world.
"But so too do scientists, naturalists, campaigners, birdwatchers and all of us individuals. We all share this crowded little planet.
"We all have a duty to take care of it and we all have a massive role to play in doing so."
She added: "I'm far from perfect, but I try to remember to take a canvas bag to the supermarket, take my reusable bottle rather than buy plastic, and tonight I'm wearing a sustainable dress.
Lib Dem leader Jo Swinson appears to be firmly set against Labour's plan to avoid a no-deal Brexit.
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