PM says Brexit on October 31 ‘whatever the circumstances’

Brexitwill take place on October 31 “whatever the circumstances”, DowningStreet has said, refusing to say whether Boris Johnson would regard avote in parliament against a no-deal departure as sufficient reason tochange course.Quizzed repeatedly at a media briefing, the primeminister’s spokesman also declined to say whether the government wouldconsider allowing no-deal to happen if it were amid an electioncampaign, or if Johnson lost a no-confidence vote in the Commons.Thespokesman said he could not comment on hypothetical situations. Butasked whether, as a matter of broader principle, Johnson could commit torespecting votes in parliament, he also declined to answer.Hepointed out that a no-deal departure was simply the consequence oflegislation as it stood: “The legal default, as put in place byparliament, is that the UK will leave on October 31, with or without adeal.” The comments, which indicate a further ratcheting up of the newgovernment’s rhetoric on no-deal, began when the spokesman was askedwhether it now appeared to be too late for the UK to depart with a newagreement.Johnson currently has no Brexit talks scheduled withEuropean leaders, having set down the unilateral condition that the EUmust first ditch the backstop insurance clause for the Irish border,something Brussels has long insisted is impossible.The spokesmansaid: “It is my job to set out the PM’s position, and that is that theUK will be leaving the EU on October 31 whatever the circumstances.There are no ifs or buts. We must restore trust in our democracy andfulfil the repeated promises of parliament to the people by coming outof the EU on October 31. Politicians cannot choose which votes torespect. They promised to respect the referendum result. We must do so.”Ina sometimes confusing series of exchanges with the media, Johnson’sspokesman refused at least 10 times to outline whether this deadlinecould be changed by the actions of MPs, saying he could not comment ontheoretical situations.Asked if Johnson would respect ano-confidence vote against his government were one passed, he said: “Onehasn’t been called, and one hasn’t been held, and I have neverdiscussed hypotheticals. The key point is we are leaving on October 31whatever the circumstances.” On the subject of whether Johnson wouldabide by a vote in parliament to, for example, stop or delay Brexit,the spokesman said: “My answer on this is not going to change, and noneof those things have happened.” There was a similar response on thenotion of no-deal happening on October 31 even if this fell during ageneral election campaign, a period when, by convention, the incumbentgovernment does not take any major decisions.The spokesman similarlydeclined to say whether a Johnson government had a general policy ofabiding by votes of parliament, saying: “What I’m doing is not engagingin some hypothetical game you’re trying to pull me into.”Havingrepeatedly declined to comment, the spokesman then rejected the idea itwas fair to say the government was not ruling out ignoring the will ofparliament, saying: “No, it wouldn’t be a fair characterisation. Thisconversation began with you putting forward hypothetical propositions,and I have said, ask me the questions about those specific votes at thetime.”The comments will nonetheless alarm opponents of a no-dealBrexit who fear Johnson might try to force through such an outcomeagainst the wishes of MPs, for example by proroguing parliament, or bydelaying a general election until after the Brexit date.Speaking on avisit to the flood-threatened town of Whaley Bridge in Derbyshire,Jeremy Corbyn said Johnson “seems to be trying to slip no-deal through,slip past parliament and slip past the British people”.The Labourleader said no-deal “will be really serious – serious for food prices,for medical supplies, for trade, for investment and drive us straightinto the hands of the sort of trade deal that Donald Trump wants to dowith Boris Johnson. I’m sorry, it’s not on, it’s not acceptable. We willdo everything we can to block it.”