UK lawmakers against no-deal Brexit to bring forward legislation

By Paul Sandle

 

Labour Party's Shadow Secretary of State for Brexit Keir Starmer appears on BBC TV's The Andrew Marr Show in London, Britain, September 1, 2019. Jeff Overs/BBC/Handout via REUTERS

 

LONDON (Reuters) - British lawmakers opposed to no-deal Brexit will attempt to pass a law this week to stop Prime Minister Boris Johnson allowing Britain to crash out of the European Union on Oct. 31, the opposition Labour Party's Brexitspokesman Keir Starmer said.

 

Senior minister Michael Gove, however, refused to guarantee the government would abide by any such legislation.

 

Johnson has pledged to deliver Brexit with or without a deal, but opposition lawmakers - and several from his own Conservatives - want to push through legislation to rule out no-deal before parliament is suspended in just over a week's time.

 

Starmer said the plan, which will be published on Tuesday, had one "very simple" aim: to stop Johnson taking Britain out of the European Union without a deal.

 

"Obviously, if we are at the 31st of October, that will require an extension," Starmer told the BBC's Andrew Marr on Sunday.

 

"But I think this should be a very short, simple exercise designed to ensure we don't crash out without a deal."

 

Gove, one of Johnson's key ministers who is coordinating no-deal contingency plans, said he believed a majority of lawmakers would back the prime minister and defeat the attempt.

 

A senior British minister refuses to guarantee that the government will abide by legislation to avert a no-deal Brexit. David Doyle reports.

 

"We know the prime minister is making progress with our European friends and allies in attempting to secure a deal, and I don't believe that people will want to erect a roadblock in his way," he said.

 

Asked whether the government would abide by any legislation passed to prevent no-deal Brexit on Oct. 31, Gove said: "Let's see what the legislation is that (Starmer) puts forward."

 

Starmer later said it was "breathtaking" for ministers not to confirm the government would comply with legislation passed lawfully. "No government is above the law," he said on Twitter.

 

NATIONAL INTEREST

David Gauke, a former British justice secretary and a Johnson critic, said he would meet the prime minister on Monday to hear his plan to deliver a Brexit deal he could support.

 

But Gauke said he was prepared to disobey Conservative discipline and be expelled by the party if he was not persuaded.

 

"Sometimes there is a point where you have to judge between your own personal interests and the national interest, and the national interest has to come first," he told Sky News. "But I hope it doesn't come to that."

 

Johnson told the Sunday Times that those backing the opposition to no-deal risked there being no Brexit at all.

 

"Are you going to side with those who want to scrub the democratic verdict of the people — and plunge this country into chaos?" he said.

 

"Or are you going to side with those of us who want to get on, deliver on the mandate of the people and focus with absolute, laser-like precision on the domestic agenda? That's the choice."

 

Johnson has demanded the withdrawal agreement negotiated with the EU be changed to remove the Irish "backstop" - an insurance policy designed to maintain an open border between EU member Ireland and the UK's Northern Ireland.

 

Gove said German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron had indicated after talks with Johnson that the agreement - "which they had said was a block of marble that could not be altered" - was now capable of being changed.

 

But the EU's chief negotiator Michel Barnier said the backstop had to stay to protect the integrity of the EU single market.

 

"The backstop is the maximum amount of flexibility that the EU can offer to a non-member state," he wrote in the Sunday Telegraph.

 

Gove said preparations for no-deal were progressing and that there would be no shortages of fresh food, although there could be price rises. "Some prices (of food) may go up, other prices will come down," he said.

 

The British Retail Consortium, a group representing the sector, said Gove's assertion was "categorically untrue".

 

"The availability of fresh foods will be impacted as a result of checks and delays at the border," the BRC said.

 

(Reporting by Paul Sandle; Editing by David Goodman, Raissa Kasolowsky and Dale Hudson)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2019-09-02

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Godspeed to this  legislation. 

Nothing but smoke from remainers. The majority voted for this and it WILL happen.

50 minutes ago, Somtamnication said:

Nothing but smoke from remainers. The majority voted for this and it WILL happen.

63% did not vote to leave the majority now wants to remain.

1 hour ago, pegman said:

Godspeed to this  legislation. 

The people have voted to leave. Parliament has voted three times against a deal. The EU has said that it isn't willing to renegotiate this deal. Unless you want to keep extending the leave deadline (which is to remain in another form) then the only option is to leave and attempt to deal afterwards. This is what I, and I'm sure most leave supporters voted for. What's your democratic solution?

29 minutes ago, Estrada said:

63% did not vote to leave the majority now wants to remain.

Those in your can't vote section are irrelevant. Those in the "couldn't be bother to leave the sofa" section don't deserve any consideration. (Probably 27% of those would probably have voted to leave anyway.) Therefore the majority of the people eligible to vote voted to leave.

24 minutes ago, jesimps said:

The people have voted to leave. Parliament has voted three times against a deal. The EU has said that it isn't willing to renegotiate this deal. Unless you want to keep extending the leave deadline (which is to remain in another form) then the only option is to leave and attempt to deal afterwards. This is what I, and I'm sure most leave supporters voted for. What's your democratic solution?

As you said 'i'm sure most leave supporters voted for'. You don't know because the question on the referendum was not clear regarding exit options.

15 minutes ago, jesimps said:

The people have voted to leave. Parliament has voted three times against a deal. The EU has said that it isn't willing to renegotiate this deal. Unless you want to keep extending the leave deadline (which is to remain in another form) then the only option is to leave and attempt to deal afterwards. This is what I, and I'm sure most leave supporters voted for. What's your democratic solution?

As you rightly say, "no deal" is the only option left for Brexit. Even the most ardent Brexiteer must now admit that this will be a disaster for the economy, jobs and industry. It will wipe out many small businesses.

 

This is far removed from what prople were promised before the referendum. Any mention about "no deal" was shouted down by the Brexit camp and declared as "Project Fear". People went to the polling stations blithely believing that the land of milk and honey was just around the corner.

 

As the Brexit landscape has completely changed and people approch Brexit more with fear and trepidation than having a "happy days are here again" attitude, surely the democratic thing to do would be to have a confirmatory vote, now that we know exactly what we are getting ourselves into?

 

Very unpopular with hard line Brexiteers who bury their heads in the sand and shout, "The people have spoken", "We've had a referendum" and "Project Fear, I'm not listening, I'm not listening!", mainly because they know which way the vote will go and see their pink unicorns galloping off into the sunset.

 

You want democracy? Fine, let the people decide, No deal Brexit or remain.

8 minutes ago, stevenl said:

As you said 'i'm sure most leave supporters voted for'. You don't know because the question on the referendum was not clear regarding exit options.

Just to remove any doubts you appear to have, it was explained to all and sundry, it was very clear, the only people that appear to have selective memory loss are the arch remainers. Hope this refreshes your memory.

 

 

33 minutes ago, jesimps said:

Those in your "can't vote" section are irrelevant.

Why? Those who were 15, 16 or 17 at the referendum are in this category.

Today they would have the right to vote, and they would mostly do it for remain.

And BTW, many seniors who voted Leave have died since the referendum.

8 minutes ago, vogie said:

Just to remove any doubts you appear to have, it was explained to all and sundry, it was very clear, the only people that appear to have selective memory loss are the arch remainers. Hope this refreshes your memory.

 

 

So those guys were right then.

 

What about these guys ?

 

 

"We know the prime minister is making progress with our European friends..."

Oh really? And just how do we know this?

BTW what does "Our European friends" mean? Who? Members of European parliament etc? or just some drinking and carousing buddies?

10 minutes ago, Rookiescot said:

So those guys were right then.

 

What about these guys ?

 

 

Sorry, I thought we were debating a no deal Brexit.

5 minutes ago, vogie said:

Sorry, I thought we were debating a no deal Brexit.

Yes and all those in that clip were saying we would get a deal.

 

38 minutes ago, jesimps said:

Those in your can't vote section are irrelevant. Those in the "couldn't be bother to leave the sofa" section don't deserve any consideration. (Probably 27% of those would probably have voted to leave anyway.) Therefore the majority of the people eligible to vote voted to leave.

"Those in the "couldn't be bother to leave the sofa" section don't deserve any consideration."

This is exactly right. If you squandered the opportunity to have a legitimate say at the voting booth in 2016, then too bad, You're like Blair supporters sitting at home watching TV and drinking your booze while he sends other people's children off to war. You don't have a right to protest now. You're insignificant in the decision making.

 

And, if by any chance there is a second referendum, you don't a have right to vote in the second one. It's like Test cricket: If you didn't play in the first innings, you can't sneak in and play in the second innings. Let the original players only decide the outcome.

24 minutes ago, Rookiescot said:

Yes and all those in that clip were saying we would get a deal.

 

So if we can't get a deal, which looks very likely, what would you do?

Edited September 2, 20196 yr by vogie

2 hours ago, Somtamnication said:

Nothing but smoke from remainers. The majority voted for this and it WILL happen.

No they did not.

1 hour ago, stevenl said:

As you said 'i'm sure most leave supporters voted for'. You don't know because the question on the referendum was not clear regarding exit options.

Goes with the turf Sunshine,..out means out

38 minutes ago, vogie said:

So if we can't get a deal, which looks very likely, what would you do?

Cancel Brexit.

Just now, Rookiescot said:

Cancel Brexit.

I am not surprised at your answer, you are probably speaking for most of the undemocratic remainers when you say that. It has always been the case when remainers say they want another referendum they actually mean they deviously want to cancel Brexit and overturn the democratic decision voted by their fellow countrymen. But the remainers are the first to complain when Boris tries to deliver Brexit with shouts of 'its not fair' and 'I'm taking my ball home'????

 

These anti-democratic Remainers are going too far now. Voting against a Deal and now making No Deal illegal. 

 

All this nonsense about blocking No Deal is really just a euphemism for stopping Brexit altogether. They cannot accept losing the referendum. Shameful behaviour. 

1 hour ago, vogie said:

Just to remove any doubts you appear to have, it was explained to all and sundry, it was very clear, the only people that appear to have selective memory loss are the arch remainers. Hope this refreshes your memory.

What you seem to forget is that any such talk was howled down as "Project Fear" and dismissed out of hand by Brexiteers who wanted to hear none of it. Only tales of the land of milk and honey penetrated their thick skulls. I never heard Boris or Nigel mention no deal. Cummings wouldn't have allowed it.

 

Now that it's come to fruition, do you still think that it's project fear? Because it's now Project Reality, which anyone capable of rational thought knew all along and why we voted remain.

13 minutes ago, vogie said:

I am not surprised at your answer, you are probably speaking for most of the undemocratic remainers when you say that. It has always been the case when remainers say they want another referendum they actually mean they deviously want to cancel Brexit and overturn the democratic decision voted by their fellow countrymen. But the remainers are the first to complain when Boris tries to deliver Brexit with shouts of 'its not fair' and 'I'm taking my ball home'????

 

Agree totally with you, cancelling Brexit would be very undemocratic. just as undemocratic as Boris Cummings proroguing parliament.

 

Surely you agree that the democratic thing to do is let the people decide, no deal Brexit or remain.

 

Then cancel Brexit!

 

Quote

They cannot accept losing the referendum.

Or they just don’t care about how anyone scored in a referendum that is non-binding and advisory, when the actual decision and law making happens through a system of parliamentary representative democracy. 

 

Quote

Shameful behaviour. 

Not sure if either side really gives a damn about what the other side considers shameful. 

Edited September 2, 20196 yr by welovesundaysatspace

2 hours ago, jesimps said:

Those in your can't vote section are irrelevant. Those in the "couldn't be bother to leave the sofa" section don't deserve any consideration. (Probably 27% of those would probably have voted to leave anyway.) Therefore the majority of the people eligible to vote voted to leave.

You could drive a double decker bus through your logic. Many of those you couldn't vote were in the slammer or too incapacitated to get to the polling station. 

1 hour ago, vogie said:

So if we can't get a deal, which looks very likely, what would you do?

Ask for a year's extension, enough time for Boris to come up with his super duper plan for the Irish border 

21 minutes ago, JonnyF said:

These anti-democratic Remainers are going too far now. Voting against a Deal and now making No Deal illegal. 

 

All this nonsense about blocking No Deal is really just a euphemism for stopping Brexit altogether. They cannot accept losing the referendum. Shameful behaviour. 

May had a deal but a bunch of Tories rejected it.

11 minutes ago, DannyCarlton said:

What you seem to forget is that any such talk was howled down as "Project Fear" and dismissed out of hand by Brexiteers who wanted to hear none of it. Only tales of the land of milk and honey penetrated their thick skulls. I never heard Boris or Nigel mention no deal. Cummings wouldn't have allowed it.

 

Now that it's come to fruition, do you still think that it's project fear? Because it's now Project Reality, which anyone capable of rational thought knew all along and why we voted remain.

Project reality?

 

You mean the food shortages? 

That there would be no medicine?

That planes would be grounded? 

The house price crash? 

That ½ a million will lose their jobs?

That the cost would be £4,300 to every home? 

Stock market collapse? 

Riots? 

No sandwiches?

That there’d be an outbreak of super gonorrhea?

The end of Western civilisation as we know it? 

 

You were mentioning something about "thick skulls" (not to mention "anyone capable of rational thought")?

Edited September 2, 20196 yr by Forethat

2 minutes ago, bannork said:

Ask for a year's extension, enough time for Boris to come up with his super duper plan for the Irish border 

And in a years time we will be exactly back where we are now.

The Brexiteers promised unicorns and rainbows.

The Brexiteers have utterly failed to produce the unicorns and rainbows.

So the referendum result is null and void.

1 minute ago, DannyCarlton said:

What insults? Only facts.

 

The only oft repeated slogan in my post is "Project Fear" a Brexiteer slogan. Agree that repeating it it time after time doesn't make it real, it never did for anyone with an ounce of sense. Glad to see that you now recognise the slogan as nonsensical rhetoric.

 

For once, why don't you try to counter my arguments rather than attacking me. Oh I forgot, you have no counter to my arguments. OK, flame on. (Missing your smiley faces 555)

You don't have arguments, you bait.