‘See You in Court,’ Miller Warns Over Shutdown: Brexit Update
`See You in Court,' Miller Warns Over Shutdown: Brexit Update
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Gina Miller said she will take the government to court if Tory leadership contender Boris Johnson tries to shut down Parliament in order to leave the European Union with no deal.
“We cannot shut down Parliament, it’s a central pillar of our constitution,” the anti-Brexit campaigner and wealth manager said on the Sophy Ridge on Sunday show on Sky.
Former Prime Minister John Major has also said he would be ready to take the government to court if the incoming leader tries to suspend Parliament. Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond said he would back such a challenge.
Miller has previously taken the government to court, forcing it to get Parliamentary approval before beginning Brexit talks. She’s also been touted as the Liberal Democrat adversary to go up against Johnson in a future snap election. However, she told Sky that she wouldn’t run in such a race.
Key Developments:
- Brexiteer and former cabinet minister Priti Patel rejected the idea of suspending Parliament, saying the public “want us to get on and do the job”
- Patel says she’s “not asking for a job at all” in the cabinet if Johnson is elected
Labour Seeks Vote With Remain on Ballot: Thornberry (10:30 a.m.)
Shadow Foreign Secretary Emily Thornberry said that whatever the government proposes, the Labour Party will “put it back to the people.” Speaking on the Andrew Marr show on BBC, Thornberry said “we’re going to ask for a public vote, we’re going to ask for remain to be on the ballot paper, and we’re going to campaign to remain.”
When asked what might be in Labour’s manifesto if an election is called, Thornberry said a second referendum would probably be included, though she couldn’t say for sure since it’s formed by a democratic process.
Rudd Calls Proroguing Parliament ‘Mistake’ (10:45 a.m.)
Work and Pensions Secretary Amber Rudd told Marr that she respects John Major’s stance and that proroguing Parliament would be a mistake. It “would be the wrong thing to do and I would always argue against it,” she said.
Rudd is officially backing Jeremy Hunt in the Tory leadership contest, though some say her recent reversal on opposing no-deal Brexit means she is vying for a place in a potential Johnson-led cabinet. Rudd said Sunday that no-deal needs to be part of the leverage in negotiations, while also “acknowledging that nobody wants that.”
In terms of how her department would cope in the event of a no-deal Brexit, Rudd said that it’s ready in terms of continuing to pay pensions and benefits. The potential loss of employment, however, is more difficult to judge, she said.
Earlier:
To contact the reporter on this story: Jill Ward in London at jward98@bloomberg.net
To contact the editors responsible for this story: Fergal O'Brien at fobrien@bloomberg.net, Cecile Gutscher, James Amott
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