No-deal Brexit: Ex Justice Secretary David Gauke suggests he’s willing to be suspended as Tory MP The Brexit rebel said that he would put the ‘national interest’ above his job

Brexit rebel David Gauke has argued that he will put “the national interest first,” even if it means he is suspended from the Conservative Party.

Downing Street adviser Dominic Cummings is reportedly planning to block MPs from standing as Conservative candidates at the next election if they vote against the government on Brexit.

The plot would effectively force the contingent of Tory rebels hoping to avert a no-deal Brexit in Parliament to choose between their principles and their jobs.

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However, speaking to Sky News’ Sophy Ridge on Sunday, former Justice Secretary David Gauke signalled that he will not back down.

Defying the whip

Mr Gauke said: “I’ve seen those reports… if it is the position that defying the whip on a European vote is a matter you lose the whip for the Conservative Party, there’s quite a lot of Conservative MPs who over the recent months, would have lost the whip.



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“Sometimes, there is a point where you have to judge between your own personal interests and national interest, and the national interest have to come first. But I hope it doesn’t come to that.”

Removing the whip from Tory rebels would wipe out the government’s fragile majority in Parliament, likely paving the way for a snap election.

Eleventh-hour talks

However, Mr Gauke also confirmed he is set to meet with Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Monday for eleventh-hour talks ahead of attempts to block no-deal.

He said: “It has been reported there is a meeting, that is true. I will have an opportunity to speak to the Prime Minister tomorrow.

“I want to hear from him, what is his plan to deliver a deal, when are we putting forward proposals to deal with this backstop issue, which is the one issue he has identified as the problem.

“I want to hear how he plans to deliver the legislation, if we get a deal, by 31 October.”

He added: “If he’s got an alternative [to the backstop] that is workable, then I will fully support it, and I will vote for it.”

Marked as traitors

Other Conservative Brexit rebels have also signalled they are prepared to live with the consequences of a rebellion.

Former International Development Secretary Rory Stewart said on Monday: “What I’m about to do, which is to go back and vote against a no-deal Brexit, will mark me in the eyes of many of my colleagues and many party members as a traitor who has been trying to undermine the whole project.



“That will probably damage me for five or 10 years.”

Former Chancellor Philip Hammond has also spoken out against the plan to deselect Conservative MPs, tweeting: “If true, this would be staggeringly hypocritical: Eight members of the current cabinet have defied the party whip this year.”

Boris Johnson, Home Secretary Priti Patel, Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps and Environment Secretary Theresa Villiers are among those to have broken the whip under the previous government, voting against Theresa May’s Brexit withdrawal deal on at least one occasion.