Brexit: Boris Johnson urged to clarify 'do or die' claim after cabinet minister points out phrase refers to suicidal army mission
International development secretary Rory Stewart says he is 'troubled' by comparison with disastrous Crimean War battle
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Your support makes all the difference.Boris Johnson has been urged to clarify his “do or die” pledge to deliver Brexit by 31 October after a cabinet minister pointed out that the phrase originally referred to a disastrous British army mission.
Rory Stewart, the international development secretary, who initially stood against Mr Johnson in the Tory leadership race, said he was “troubled” by the current frontrunner’s language.
The phrase “do or die” originates from the poem “The Charge of the Light Brigade” by Alfred Tennyson, which is about British casualties during the Crimean War.
The Light Brigade of around 600 men suffered major losses after charging into Russian artillery fire during a battle in 1854, following a miscommunication between military commanders.
Mr Stewart called on Mr Johnson to “clarify” his comments and confirm that he did not see a no-deal Brexit as a kind of suicide mission.
He told the Press Association: “It was a very strange phrase to say 'do or die' because it's taken from that Tennyson poem.
"I'm a little bit troubled by that. I hope he's not setting it up in those kinds of terms. I don't quite understand why he would agree with that kind of language.
"What I would hope he meant and I'd hope he'd clarify and say is that he's going to try to deliver a Brexit that works for Britain...that this isn't some sort of charge towards the guns."
Mr Stewart had earlier tweeted paraphrasing the full section of the poem, which reads: “Theirs not to reason why, theirs but to do and die, into the valley of Death, rode the six hundred."
On Monday, Mr Johnson told talkRADIO: “We are getting ready to come out on 31 October, come what may."
Asked to confirm this, he added: “Do or die. Come what may.”
Mr Stewart, who is supporting Jeremy Hunt to be the next prime minister, is a vocal opponent of a no-deal Brexit.
On Wednesday, he said he would vote against any plan to take Britain out of the EU without an deal, but would not support attempts to bring down a Conservative government.
He told Radio 4’s Today programme: “I would definitely vote against a Conservative government to stop a no-deal Brexit."
But he added: "I wouldn't vote to bring down a Conservative government - I don't want Jeremy Corbyn to be prime minister.
"The key thing for me is a no-deal Brexit would lead to endless delay and uncertainty, would let everybody down - I will work with my colleagues to prevent that happening...
"I would work with my colleagues to prevent us getting a no-deal Brexit but not to bring in a Jeremy Corbyn government."
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