Face of Nation : Government will “test to the limit” a new law designed to force it to seek an extension to the Brexit deadline if a deal is not reached by 19 October. Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said the government would abide by the law but would “look very carefully” at its “interpretation” of the legislation. He said Britain remained committed to getting a deal with the EU. The law, which should gain royal assent on Monday, aims to stop the UK exiting the EU with no deal on 31 October.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson has been warned he could face legal action if he chooses to flout it. Mr Raab called the legislation “lousy” and said it “weakened” the government’s negotiating position in Brussels.
“That legislation is lousy, it envisages multiple delays, it would effectively force us to accept conditions from the EU however vindictive, punitive and harsh they may be,” he told Sophy Ridge on Sunday programme.
He added: “We will adhere to the law but we will also – because this is such a bad piece of legislation – want to test to the limit what it actually lawfully requires.”
He insisted testing the law’s limits is “the responsible thing to do” and accused Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn of dragging the country “into the quicksand”. Chancellor Sajid Javid said the government “absolutely will not” ask the EU to extend the date of Brexit, adding: “We will leave on 31 October.”
“We will be consistent with obeying the law but also sticking to our policy, and you will have to wait and see what happens because there is a lot of days between now and 19 October,” he told Andrew Marr programme. It is thought that Mr Johnson believes he could legally disregard some or all of the bill’s requirements- a move that could see him potentially facing prison.
This, in turn, could trigger an emergency judicial review by the Supreme Court next month, leading to a court showdown over whether the UK would be able to leave the EU with no deal on 31 October. MPs, including Tories expelled from the party, are preparing legal action in case the PM refuses to seek a delay to Brexit. Justice Secretary Robert Buckland said he has spoken with the prime minister about the “importance the Rule of Law”.
Shadow chancellor John McDonnell said the country was in “an extremely serious constitutional position” and that “no-one can trust” what might happen with Mr Johnson as PM.
“We’ve got to prevent Boris Johnson from forcing through a no-deal because of the damage it could do for our country,” he told Andrew Marr. Mr McDonnell said he believed the prime minister might wait until no-deal was the only option, and an election would not solve the problem. He said: “I think we’re in an extremely serious constitutional position.
“We don’t believe that we can pin him down and I don’t trust him an inch. I don’t think anyone does. Shadow attorney general and Labour peer Baroness Chakrabarti called the government’s position “extraordinary and irresponsible”.
“I think the position is irresponsible and elitist – the idea there’s one law for Boris Johnson and his mates and another law for everyone else, it’s appalling,” she told Sky News’ Sophy Ridge on Sunday programme.
She added: “Every tin pot dictator on the planet throughout history has used the excuse of having the people on their side to break the law, to shut down Parliament, and all the rest of it.
She added that the legislation is “crystal clear” and Boris Johnson was “personally” duty-bound to comply with it. Amber Rudd, who quit the cabinet on Saturday, said the government “must obey the law”. “This government and any government must obey the law. I would urge Boris Johnson and his advisers to think very carefully about that.
