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As it happenedended

David Cameron attacks ‘appalling’ successor after PM heckled and accosted in street during northern debacle

PM's last-but-one predecessor warns against a no-deal Brexit 

Adam Forrest,Lizzy Buchan,Jane Dalton
Friday 13 September 2019 13:16 EDT
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Boris Johnson’s speech in Rotherham interrupted by heckler protesting about his decision to suspend parliament

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David Cameron has hit out at Boris Johnson and his Brexit strategy, saying the prime minister was wrong to suspend parliament and warning that a no-deal Brexit would be a “bad outcome”.

It rounded off a dismal day for the prime minister after a trip to Yorkshire descended into chaos when he was confronted by an angry voter over Brexit in Doncaster and heckled over the suspension of parliament during a speech in Rotherham.

The prime minister was setting out plans to hand more powers to the north of England, but was derailed by an audience member, who shouted: “Why are you not in parliament sorting out the mess you’ve created?”

Mr Johnson said he was “cautiously optimistic” of getting a Brexit deal as he prepared for talks on Monday with Jean-Claude Juncker, the European Commission president, and negotiator Michel Barnier.

He claimed there was the “rough shape” of a deal in place.

But he made clear that if he was unable to get a new deal, he would not be deterred by “shenanigans” at Westminster from taking Britain out of the EU by 31 October.

His last-but-one predecessor Mr Cameron claimed Mr Johnson had behaved “appallingly” during the Vote Leave campaign.

See below for what was our live coverage

Jeremy Corbyn has backed a woman who heckled Boris Johnson in the street, saying: "People have died because of austerity." 

Jane Dalton13 September 2019 18:20
Jane Dalton13 September 2019 18:22

A snapshot of voters in Lincoln suggests Conservative voters are turning away from the party, some considering backing the Brexit Party.

Jane Dalton13 September 2019 18:35

David Cameron has been widely blamed for the Brexit mess the UK is in, but really he did nothing wrong - a referendum was inevitable given how split we were over the EU, argues Sean O'Grady. 

Jane Dalton13 September 2019 18:48

David Cameron has said he understands public anger at his decision to hold the Brexit referendum, and that he will never be forgiven by some who wanted to remain in the EU.

But the former prime minister maintained that a public vote was inevitable, even if he failed to win the support of the public by gaining concessions from Europe beforehand.

And he admitted he had been was shouted at in public since leaving office.

Jane Dalton13 September 2019 18:59

A reminder that Labour activists have backed moves to force Jeremy Corbyn to fully oppose Brexit, paving the way for a major battle at the party's annual conference later this month.

Jane Dalton13 September 2019 19:12

Phillip Lee, who has defected from the Conservatives to the Lib Dems over Brexit, says he had to resign because the new government “is not actually Conservative”.

Jane Dalton13 September 2019 19:24

Green MP Caroline Lucas has had a swipe at Boris Johnson's suspension of parliament and the planned Heathrow expansion in one go:

Jane Dalton13 September 2019 19:36

Amber Rudd, the former home secretary, has suggested electoral reform should be considered in view of the Brexit impasse between the referendum result and MPs' preferences.

In a speech yesterday to the Reform think tank, she said: "Most people acknowledge we have to leave, but we can’t keep trying bulldoze Brexit through a Parliament where MPs take a different view of their democratic responsibilities.

"The tragedy here is not that one side is anti-democratic, [it] is that fundamentally our democracy has delivered two opposing views. 

"We can pick a side, demonise our opponents and gamble everything in the hope that ultimately our team wins.

"Or we can take the heat out of the debate – respect that we can have honourable disagreements, commit to finding common ground and ultimately accept that the price of unity is compromise."

Jane Dalton13 September 2019 19:50

David Cameron has for the first time admitted getting “off his head” on cannabis after smoking the drug while studying at Eton College.

Jane Dalton13 September 2019 19:57

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