Boris Johnson news: Leo Varadkar says Brexit deal is ‘possible’ by end of October after crunch talks with PM
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Your support makes all the difference.Boris Johnson and his Irish counterpart Leo Varadkar have met for private talks on The Wirral and have agreed there is a “pathway” to a possible Brexit agreement.
It comes as Andrea Leadsom suggested the PM could send a second letter to the EU explaining he does not want any Brexit delay, alongside the letter asking for an Article 50 extension required by the Benn Act.
England’s Chief Medical Officer Professor Dame Sally Davies, meanwhile, has warned that people could die as a result of a no-deal Brexit.
“There may be deaths,” she said.
Could Boris Johnson have lied to his own MPs? Or has a senior Tory made the mistake of “over-interpreting” something the PM said?
Damian Green and his group of moderate “One Nation” Tories have threatened Boris Johnson with a mass walk-out if No 10 tries to make the party back a no-deal Brexit explicitly at a snap general election.
After meeting Johnson at Downing Street with some of the group, Green said he had received assurances the party would not go into an election arguing for an immediate no-deal exit.
“We looked each other in the eye. I accept and believe the reassurances,” said Green. “He has no intention of putting a no-deal policy in a manifesto.”
Despite the heavy eye contact, there are suggestions this morning Johnson has not ruled out the idea of a no-deal manifesto.
A senior Downing Street official has told Politico: “We are keeping our options open. I suspect Green has over-interpreted the meeting. There are many cards left to play in the game before we get to a manifesto.”
Philip Hammond has been talking about why Boris Johnson’s Brexit plan is doomed to fail.
The former chancellor has also said talk of “loopholes” to around the Benn Act requiring a Brexit delay is “just bravado”.
Asked on Sky News about No 10’s claim they have a way to get out of the EU by 31 October, Hammond said: “I don’t care what they’re saying in Downing Street. This is bravado. There is no way round the Benn Act. The prime minister has given an assurance in the Scottish court that he will deliver the obligations.”
“It’s not a parliamentary issue – it’s a legal issue.”
Hammond laid out his plan for a zero-tariff trade deal with the EU in The Telegraph this morning.
Our correspondent Lizzy Buchan has more on those extraordinary remarks by England’s chief medical officer Dame Sally Davies – who warned people could die as a result of a no-deal Brexit.
The government is said to be considering sending a second letter to the EU along with the first letter required by the Benn Act requesting an extension to Article 50.
Asked on ITV’s Peston if Johnson could still send a second letter explaining he doesn’t actually want an extension, business secretary Andrea Leadsom replied “absolutely” and said it was “perfectly reasonable” to make the government’s view clear.
According to the BBC, there are still discussions going on in Downing Street about sending a second letter.
Despite Leadsom’s comments, some cabinet ministers appear to have accepted what the Benn Act requires – a delay, and no crash-out Brexit on 31 October. One told Laura Kuenssberg that “the EU will do what it always does, play long, and we’ll have to agree”.
SNP MP Joanna Cherry QC has said the Benn Act expressly forbids such “silly tricks” as second letters.
Business minister Kwasi Kwarteng has said this morning that the government will “comply with the law”.
A reminder that the latest poll for thecampaign found that Britain would vote by a 10-point margin to stay in the EU rather than leave without an agreement.
Some 55 per cent of those quizzed by YouGov said they would vote for no Brexit, against 45 per cent for no deal, if they were given that choice in a Final Say referendum.
A march and rally – backed by The Independent takes place in London on 19 October.
The Jennifer Arcuri story just won’t go away for Boris Johnson.
The London Assembly said the confidential letter submitted by the prime minister “doesn’t answer any of the questions we asked”, raising the possibility he will be summoned to City Hall to answer questions in person.
Chair of the oversight committee Len Duvall said they would respect a request not to publish Mr Johnson’s response “at this stage”, but were seeking further information from the PM.
All the details here.
Jeremy Corbyn is in Northampton today, where he will say Labour is “champing at the bit” for a general election as soon as no deal is off the table.
Many Labour MPs are uneasy about an election before a second referendum. Shadow foreign secretary Emily Thornberry has been asked about that “sequencing” this morning.
“My concern might be that if we had a general election it would be a kind of quasi-referendum,” she told BBC’s Victoria Derbyshire programme. “So to a certain extent I can see the sense in trying to have a referendum first, it’s really just a question of how we do that in practice.”
Asked if she is lobbying Corbyn to have a referendum first, before a general election. “A number of us are trying to think of a way through this.
“A general election should be about a whole load of issues – if all of the oxygen is swallowed up on the issue of Brexit, the decision we make on Brexit will ensure which government is in for five years. And they won’t be just be dealing with Brexit. There is life after Brexit.”
BREAKING: Michael Roby has been fined £40 and ordered to pay £135 in costs after admitting a Public Order Act offence committed outside the constituency office of Birmingham Yardley MP Jess Phillips.
Roby, from Billesley in Birmingham, pleaded guilty at the city’s magistrates’ court to using threatening or abusive words or behaviour likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress on 26 September.
The court was told the 36-year-old, who has lost his job as a warehouse worker, shouted: “Is this the fascist party offices?” and “Why are you blocking democracy?” before kicking a wooden front door.
Jeremy Corbyn has begun his speech in Northampton, setting out Labour’s stall for a general election – if there’s to be one in the months ahead.
He denied his party was avoiding an election, but said it did not trust Boris Johnson not to force through a no-deal during an election campaign.
“Prime minister, we can’t trust you not to break the law because you’ve got form,” he said.
“We can’t trust you not to use the period of an election campaign to drive our country off a no-deal cliff-edge that will crash our economy, destroy jobs and industries, cause shortages of medicine and food and endanger peace in Northern Ireland.
“So it’s simple: obey the law, take no-deal off the table and then let’s have the election.”
“We’re ready and champing at the bit. There’s only one reason it hasn’t happened yet – we can’t trust you.”
Jeremy Corbyn sets out Labour priorities in Northampton (AFP)
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