Dominic Grieve insists pro-Remain MPs can still stop no-deal Brexit as he blasts ‘disinformation’ from Dominic Cummings
2 min read
MPs can still stop Britain from leaving the European Union without a deal despite "disinformation" from senior Downing Street adviser Dominic Cummings, a prominent pro-Remain backbencher has said.
Former attorney general Dominic Grieve shrugged off reports that Mr Cummings believes a no-deal Brexit can be forced through even in the event that the Government loses a vote of no confidence in the House of Commons.
The newly-appointed Number 10 adviser, who led the Vote Leave campaign to quit the EU in 2016, is said to have laughed at the idea that Boris Johnson would leave office if he lost a confidence vote ahead of Brexit, with top aides instead gearing up for a general election.
But Mr Grieve branded the newly-appointed Downing Street policy adviser "the master of disinformation".
"He’s right when he points out that for the House of Commons to prevent a no-deal Brexit against the wishes of an administration that is hell-bent on delivering it come what may, there are a whole series of obstacles,” he told BBC Radio 4’s Broadcasting House programme.
"So he has a point, but I think he may also be missing the point that there are a number of things the House of Commons can do, including bringing down the government and setting up a new one in its place."
On Sunday Labour frontbencher Jonathan Ashworth said his party would work with former ministers "rather foolishly" sacked by Mr Johnson to try to halt a no-deal outcome on 31 October.
"We are working with MPs across the House of Commons and we will work to stop no-deal," he told Sky News.
But a senior Downing Street official told the Financial Times: "Someone put Grieve’s idea to Cummings on Friday that if we lose a vote of no confidence the PM will have to resign — he spat his drink out laughing.
"The idea we will hand over to a new government rather than leave with an election after October 31 is laughable."
The FT meanwhile reports that Mr Cummings is instead gearing up for a "people versus the politicians" election campaign in the event Mr Johnson loses a confidence vote - a blow that would nevertheless hand the Prime Minister 14 days in which to try to form a new government before having to go the country.
“I think the Vote Leave people in here will do literally anything to win," one government official told the paper.
PoliticsHome Newsletters
PoliticsHome provides the most comprehensive coverage of UK politics anywhere on the web, offering high quality original reporting and analysis: Subscribe
