FARAGE PLUNGES DAGGER ... as civil war breaks out over PM front-runner’s No Deal stance KNIVES OUT FOR BORIS
Tories rocked by Brexit Party’s Euro poll triumph
THE Tories faced a double crisis last night over Boris Johnson and a humiliation from Nigel Farage in the polls. Tory moderates, including Chancellor Philip Hammond, yesterday warned that any attempt by Mr Johnson to force a No Deal Brexit could collapse the Government and let in Jeremy Corbyn. Mr Hammond even refused to rule out supporting a Labour-led confidence motion if the next Conservative leader pursued No Deal.
Meanwhile, the Tories were facing heavy losses in the European Parliament elections to Mr Farage’s Brexit Party. As counting started last night, the Conservatives were braced for one of the worst electoral hammerings in their history. Party bosses had been hoping that the resignation of Theresa May on Friday would start a turnaround in fortunes.
But yesterday Tory civil war erupted after Mr Johnson made clear he was prepared to leave without a deal. His
comments came after fellow leadership hopefuls Dominic Raab, Andrea Leadsom and Esther McVey all said they would be prepared to leave without an agreement on October 31. However, Mr Hammond warned that any Tory leader who went for No Deal risked being toppled.
He told the BBC: ‘A prime minister who ignores Parliament cannot expect to survive very long.’ As the Euro election results were set to be unveiled:
Mr Johnson predicted a ‘rout’ for the Tories, with early predictions suggesting they could lose anything between half and almost all of their seats;
Labour looked set to lose swathes of London to the Liberal Democrats – with some predicting Mr Corbyn’s party could come behind them in the national share of the vote;
It appeared as if turnout would be close to 50 per cent, the highest for a Euro election for many years;
Across Europe, far-Right and Eurosceptic parties were on course to win more seats than ever before;
Environment Secretary Michael Gove, former Brexit secretary Mr Raab and exCommons leader Mrs Leadsom said they would stand for Tory leader;
Mr Raab launched his campaign with a promise to slash income tax but then faced a row for defending his past criticisms of feminism;
Allies of Mr Johnson made clear they feared that an operation was under way to keep him off the final ballot paper;
Mr Gove insisted he had the experience for the job, but that it would be better to get a negotiated Brexit deal.
Unveiling his manifesto in his newspaper column last night, Mr Johnson warned: ‘I predict a rout. In this miserable election that should never have taken place, for a Euro Parliament that should no longer represent us, the voters are delivering a crushing rebuke to the Government – in fact, to both major parties.’
On the issue of No Deal, he said: ‘No one sensible would aim exclusively for a No Deal exit. No one responsible would take No Deal off the table.’
He had earlier said Britain must leave the EU when the next extension runs out at the end of October.
Mr Hammond warned of the risk that Parliament would block No Deal and potentially collapse the Government. He repeatedly refused to answer whether he personally would vote against the Government in a confidence motion on the issue. He said: ‘In 22 years in Parliament, I have never voted against the Conservative whip, unlike many of my colleagues, and I don’t want to have to start now contemplating such a course of action.’
Pressed further, the Chancellor said: ‘I’m saying this is a very difficult situation. It would challenge not just me, but many of our colleagues, and I hope we will never get to that position.’
Mr Raab yesterday said he would prefer to leave with a deal, but Britain had to show it was prepared to walk away.
He estimated the country would be able to withhold £25 billion of the £39 billion divorce bill if there was No Deal, as he complained the Government had failed to be tough in talks with Brussels.
He told the BBC: ‘I don’t think we were resolute enough... it’s become a miserly, dour, risk-management exercise rather than grasping the opportunity to take back control of our laws, our borders and our money – and also to have the global opportunities that free trade brings.’
Mrs Leadsom yesterday announced her leadership bid after resigning from Cabinet on Wednesday. Speaking outside her home, she said: ‘Of course, in order to be able to succeed in a negotiation, you have to be prepared to leave without a deal.’
Miss McVey told Sky News that the UK must start preparing for a No Deal exit straight away. She added: ‘October 31 is the key date and we are coming out then, and if that means without a deal then that’s what it means. We won’t be asking for any more extensions.’
Meanwhile, in an interview with the Daily Mail, Work and Pensions Secretary Amber Rudd said No Deal ‘doesn’t work’ as a solution to Brexit.
Miss Rudd, who has dropped plans to run for the leadership herself, is being wooed by several leading candidates including Mr Johnson and Mr Gove. ‘No Deal is not a destination,’ she said. ‘It doesn’t work, it gets found out and many people want to have a trade deal with the EU.’
Tory MPs will begin whittling down the contenders on June 10, before the party’s 160,000 members vote on the final two candidates with a new leader expected by the end of July.