Boris Johnson news: PM suffers fresh Brexit humiliation as EU systematically rubbishes plan, amid bizarre scheme to defy Queen
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Your support makes all the difference.The EU’s chief negotiator Michel Barnier has delivered a brutal verdict on Boris Johnson‘s Brexit plans, saying the UK and Brussels are ”not really in a position” to find agreement.
Ahead of a critical EU summit, it emerged that the prime minister was preparing a historic Saturday Commons sitting on 19 October, in a last-ditch bid to avoid asking the EU for a Brexit delay.
Mr Johnson and his advisers are reportedly ready to tell the Queen she cannot sack him, even if he loses a no-confidence vote in the Commons later this month – a plan ridiculed by lawyers and historians.
Scotland’s highest civil court has also delayed ruling on whether to order Mr Johnson to ask for a Brexit extension – or have an official sign the extension letter if he refuses to do so – until 21 October.
Irish finance minister Paschal Donohoe said his government is “more interested in trying to see if there’s a solution rather than engage in the allocation of blame”.
Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, he rejected claims that Dublin is seeking to “trap” the UK with Brexit backstop arrangements.
“In terms of the charge that the Irish government is looking to trap anybody in any kind of arrangement, that is absolutely not the case.”
Tony Blair gave a speech at a reform Scotland event in Edinburgh last night, again warning Labour and the opposition parties about the dangers of staging a general election in the midst of Brexit chaos.
“This is an elephant trap of width and depth with large neon signs around it, saying ‘Elephant Trap. Elephants of limited awareness please fall in.’
“I say to MPs: avoid it. Have an election by all means; but not to decide Brexit. If Brexit is the question ask it of the people specifically, not in a general election.”
In case you were wondering, Boris Johnson did submit all the Jennifer Arcuri-related paperwork requested by the Greater London Authority on Tuesday evening.
But only after a 6pm deadline set by the committee investigating his ties with the tech entrepreneur had passed.
A Downing Street source said that a letter of request by oversight committee chair Len Duvall had been delivered late and that the deadline should therefore be pushed to Wednesday, but its response was still submitted shortly after the deadline.
Here’s our Europe editor Jon Stone with more on the latest remarks by European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker.
“I do not accept this ‘blame game’ of pinning the eventual failure of the negotiations on the EU,” said Juncker. “If that’s the case, the explanation is actually in the British camp because the original sin is on the islands and not on the continent.”
The BBC’s Norman Smith is correct – 19 October is shaping up to be a whopper, with a big showdown vote in parliament and the People’s Vote march for a Final Say second referendum, supported by The Independent.
More than 170 coaches have been hired to transport anti-Brexit campaigners to London for the protest – expected to be one of the biggest protests in British history.
Could there be hope for a Brexit deal yet?
According to The Times, EU negotiators are prepared to offer a concession: a mechanism for the Northern Ireland Assembly to agree leave a new Irish backstop after a certain number of years.
Diplomatic sources said Brussels might be willing to go along with the proposals to allow Stormont to pull out of the arrangements in the UK proposal – so long as there’s a “double majority” for it.
A double majority is a voting system which requires a majority of votes according to two separate criteria.
The EU is said to be concerned the British proposals would mean the DUP essentially has a veto, allowing the unionist party to pull out of any withdrawal agreement arrangements in 2025.
Brussels wants “parity of esteem” for both unionist and nationalist communities.
But both the DUP and Sinn Fein have dismissed the idea already. So perhaps no hope after all.
A couple of splendid pieces of nonsense this morning to add to the already huge lexicon of Brexit absurdisms.
Tory MP Kit Malhouse told BBC Breakfast: “We’re reaching a critical point – if there’s ever a time for jaw-jaw rather than war-war, this is it.”
Labour MP Caroline Flint told the Today programme: “Just get it done, I haven’t a clue how to resolve the Irish border issue, but just get it done.”
We’re awaiting a decision from the Court of Session in Edinburgh on whether or not a court clerk or another official could sign the Benn Act extension letter on Boris Johnson’s behalf if he refuses to do so.
But a government lawyer has reportedly claimed the PM could still legally object to the Brexit delay.
According to solicitor Robert Norgrove, the Benn Act cannot prevent Johnson from “honestly stating his view” to the EU – i.e. telling them how much he loathes the damn letter.
We’re expecting Lord Carloway, the lord president of the Court of Session, to deliver a judgement this morning.
Yesterday Lord Carloway said: “If we were granting an order, it wouldn’t be the court clerk. The responsibility might have to be at a higher level.”
I’m afraid we’re going to have to wait another 12 days for that Court of Session decision.
The judge in Edinburgh has delayed making a decision on the Benn Act extension letter until 21 October – a couple of days after that showdown vote in parliament.
So it allows the court the wait and see if Boris Johnson abides by the legislation or not. Joanna Cherry QC seems pleased.
Jo Maugham QC also appears quite pleased with the Court of Session’s decision to delay the case until 21 October.
In his latest blog post, he summarises where the delay leaves us.
On Monday the Court of Session was satisfied that the government “accepts that he must comply with the requirements of the [Benn] Act”.
Maugham writes: “If Boris Johnson adheres to these statements the entire purpose of the litigation … will be satisfied.”
But if Johnson refuses to abide by the Benn Act, the Court of Session can spring back into action on 21 October and rule on whether someone else can legally sign the letter of extension on the PM’s behalf.
“The ability of the Inner House to exercise its nobile officium – and sign the letter or acceptance of an offer of an extension – provides a remedy in relation to documents the Prime Minister unlawfully fails to execute,” writes Maugham.
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