Boris Johnson tells Conservative members he will break the law rather than extend Article 50 Mr Johnson is short of options without MPs’ approval to leave with no deal, or for a snap general election

Prime Minister Boris Johnson wrote to Tory members Friday evening pledging to break the law that will require him to seek an extension of Article 50, according to the Daily Telegraph.

Mr Johnson has few remaining options after leaders of the opposition refused to agree to a snap general election until a Brexit delay has been obtained.

The “rebel alliance”, including Jeremy Corbyn and Jo Swinson, have pledged to block a no-deal Brexit, and will not support the government in a second vote on Monday designed to trigger an early election.

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Mr Johnson said: “They just passed a law that would force me to beg Brussels for an extension to the Brexit deadline. This is something I will never do.”



The Prime Minister revealed earlier on Friday he would not consider seeking another deadline extension from Brussels because the incoming law – which is expected to receive royal assent on Monday – compels him to if no agreement is in place by 19 October.

“I will not. I don’t want a delay,” he added.

If Mr Johnson does not carry out the will of Parliament, he could face legal proceedings. The Telegraph reports that if a judge then ordered him to obey Parliament, he risks being held in contempt and possibly jailed if he refused.

As Parliament is scheduled to be suspended by next Thursday at the latest, it seems unlikely the Prime Minister will be successful in forcing an election before 31 October unless he resigns.

Brexit Martyr?

Former Conservative leader Iain Duncan Smith encouraged the Prime Minister to break the law, claiming he would be seen as a Brexit “martyr” if judges decided to put him in jail for breaching Parliament’s terms.

Mr Duncan Smith said: “This is about Parliament versus the people. Boris Johnson is on the side of the people, who voted to leave the EU.

“The people are sovereign because they elect Parliament. But Parliament wants to stop the will of the people.”

However, Plaid Cymru’s Westminster leader, Liz Saville Roberts, who was involved in the rebel talks, said her party intends to hold Mr Johnson to account.

“We need to make sure that we get past 31 October, and an extension to Article 50. We have an opportunity to bring down Boris, to break Boris, and to bring down Brexit – and we must take that,” she said.

No more dither and delay

The progression of Hilary Benn’s backbench bill now means Mr Johnson is legally obliged to request an extension to Article 50, if he hasn’t secured a Brexit deal or received MPs’ approval to leave the EU with no deal, by 19 October.

Speaking in Scotland on Friday, the Prime Minister said he would not ask for any delay. Whilst visiting a farm near Banchory, Aberdeenshire, where he met a prize bull called Keene, he said: “We’ve spent a long time trying to sort of fudge this thing and I think the British public really want us to get out. They don’t want more dither and delay.”

He added he would secure a new deal at the EU summit on 17 October “by powers of persuasion”.

However, Tory rebel David Gauke, who lost the party whip this week for supporting Benn’s bill, said Mr Johnson had minimal options.

Gauke said: “During both the leadership election and subsequently, he has just boxed himself in, again and again and again. Just this week he is now saying there are no circumstances in which he will seek an extension. But if the law requires him to seek an extension, he either has to comply with the law, or resign. Surely he must comply with the law?”

Cross-party group formed

Mr Johnson’s letter follows a chaotic week in which he suspended 21 Tory MPs, his younger brother Jo Johnson resigned and more senior Tories announced their retirement.

He claimed he promised to “deliver Brexit, unite the country and defeat Jeremy Corbyn. And that’s what we’re going to do.”

However with his hopes of a no-deal Brexit seemingly disintegrating, the Prime Minister faces pressure to achieve a renegotiated deal with Brussels. On Friday the cross-party group “MPs for a deal” was launched, including Labour’s Stephen Kinnock and Caroline Flint, Liberal Democrat Norman Lamb, and former Tory leadership contender Rory Stewart.

In a joint statement “MPs for a deal” said: “Even at the eleventh hour it’s not too late to agree a deal to ensure an orderly exit from the European Union.

“The media focus has been on the short extension proposed by the Benn bill. However, we believe that Boris Johnson’s response to the bill should be to ensure he secures a deal with the EU27.”

MPs have lined up a legal team and are willing to go to court to enforce the legislation requiring Mr Johnson ask for an extension.