Amber Rudd, Matt Hancock, Nicky Morgan – resign now or your reputations will be in tatters

Nothing undermines faith in our political system than politicians going back on their word. But while there have been a number of recent examples of MPs being punished at the ballot box for failing to deliver for their constituents, nothing ​will compare to that which will be visited on Conservative ministers at the next election for reneging on their pledge to oppose proroguing parliament to force through a no-deal Brexit.

Whether or not parliament should be sitting during the crucial weeks leading up to the Brexit deadline is no small matter. A broken promise like student fees is an important issue, but it is puny compared to the fundamental question of whether we are a functioning parliamentary democracy or a tin-pot dictatorship. This is why people took to the streets yesterday evening across the UK in spontaneous demonstrations against Boris Johnson proroguing parliament.

It is also why, presumably, leading Conservatives have spoken out so loudly and clearly against the very idea of prorogation. Let’s take Matt Hancock, the secretary of state for health and social care, who declared on 6 June that “proroguing parliament undermines parliamentary democracy” and also said “to suspend parliament explicitly to pursue a course of action against its wishes is not a serious policy of a prime minister in the 21st century”. I could not agree more.

And how about work and pensions secretary Amber Rudd? She said: “I think it’s outrageous to consider proroguing parliament. We are not Stuart kings.” Stuart kings had more respect for parliament than Boris Johnson is currently displaying.

Nicky Morgan, secretary of state for digital, culture, media and sport, said proroguing parliament would be “extraordinary” and that it would lead to a constitutional crisis. I agree with Nicky. It has prompted a constitutional crisis.

Three members of the cabinet. Three cast-iron, rock-solid public pledges to oppose Boris Johnson proroguing parliament to force through a no-deal Brexit.

Michael Gove, now chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, said that it would be a “terrible thing if having said that we should have more power in this country and trust in our institutions that we shut down parliament”.

And the chancellor, Sajid Javid, very concisely stated that “you don’t deliver on democracy by trashing our democracy”, adding “we are not selecting a dictator”. A couple of months is a very long time in politics.

It is not too late for all five to do the right thing and resign. To resign from the front bench is not a decision to be taken lightly. However, on an issue as vital as this, it is hard to see how they can carry on. Indeed, Lord Young has resigned his position as a government whip this morning. He has served as a minister under every Conservative prime minister since Thatcher, but for him Boris Johnson’s actions are a step too far. He has said today that Johnson’s decision to prorogue for such a long time “risks undermining the fundamental role of parliament”.

These ministers’ pledges were not made in the distant past, or when they were on the first rungs of politics. They made these statements, to our national broadcasters, at the start of a summer which is not even over. No amount of ministerial power or trappings is worth the taint of hypocrisy which they will carry forever.

The issue is crystal clear. Should parliament, on behalf of the people, be allowed to do its work of holding the government to account? Or should the prime minister, serving only his own self-interest, be allowed to silence parliament? History will not judge kindly those who opted for the latter, especially if the consequence is a disastrous no-deal Brexit with food, medicine or fuel shortages and an economic recession.

But we won’t have to wait for the judgement of history with a general election around the corner. Matt Hancock might be sitting on a 17,000 majority, but Nicky Morgan’s majority in Loughborough is under 5,000, and Amber Rudd’s majority in Hastings & Rye is a wafer-thin 346. I am reaching out to these cabinet ministers, imploring that they resign from the government and join the right side of history. If they don’t, the judgement of their electorate will be brutal.

Luciana Berger is an independent MP for Liverpool Wavertree