Autocratic global leaders will be bolstered if Boris Johnson breaks law over Brexit, senior Tory warns

Ex-deputy prime minister David Lidington highlights 'danger' when other countries face threat to 'rule of law and democratic government'

Boris Johnson will bolster the world’s authoritarian leaders if he breaks the law by defying parliament over Brexit, a former Conservative deputy prime minister has warned.

David Lidington condemned hints that the prime minister will ignore cross-party legislation to block a crash-out from the EU – arguing it would “set a really dangerous precedent”.

And he went further by suggesting Mr Johnson would be helping the rise of strong-arm, populist leaders, who could seize on events in the UK to make the case for their abuses of democracy.

“It is very important at a time when, around the world, we are seeing people in other countries holding up alternatives to rule of law and democratic government, that British governments do always demonstrate that they comply with the law,” said Mr Lidington, who was sacked in July.

“Every government has rulings from courts that it disagrees with – you then try to change the law, not defy it.”

The prime minister has vowed to lie “dead in a ditch” before seeking an extension to Article 50 and said the law to be passed on Monday would only force him to do that “in theory”.

But Mr Lidington told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “The government is bound by the words of any statute that has been duly enacted by the Queen in parliament, that is a fundamental principle of our democracy.

“If you do something in government, you need to think ‘would I be happy if the other lot were in power and they did this to me’ – and, if you wouldn’t be happy with that, it’s a very good warning signal.”

The comments come as MPs fighting a no-deal Brexit line up a legal team to prepare to go to court in to compel Mr Johnson to seek a Brexit delay, if he refuses.

The bill – to become law on Monday – gives the prime minister only until 19 October to pass a deal in parliament, or the impossibility of MPs approving a crash-out on Halloween.

Once this deadline has passed, he must ask the EU to extend the UK's departure date to 31 January, or another date if both Brussels and parliament agree.

One possibility being floated is for Mr Johnson to refuse to send the no-deal blocking legislation to Buckingham Palace for royal assent to dare the Commons to bring him down.

If he lost a no-confidence vote, an election would be triggered if no alternative prime minister could win MPs’ confidence within 14 days – but Mr Johnson would be accused of dragging the Queen into politics.

Also, days after losing 22 of his MPs to expulsions and a defection, the prime minister would face further resignations, one Tory MP warned today.

Kevin Hollinrake, a North Yorkshire MP, tweeted: “Any media speculation about Govt ignoring legislation is nonsense.

“Even if it was under consideration, which I’m sure it’s not, you would see a v significant number of Conservative MPs resigning the whip, including me.”