Boris Johnson has launched an unexpected charm offensive as his government ramps up efforts to find a deal – just as MPs gather to thwart him.
Senior opposition MPs are due to put forward legislation in the Commons next week in a bid to avoid Britain crashing out of the EU.
The UK’s chief negotiator David Frost headed to Brussels as Downing Street hope to cash in on what they see as the positive mood music on the back of the G7 summit.
To reinforce the fresh diplomatic offensive, Mr Johnson phoned European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, Dutch PM Mark Rutte and the leaders of Malta, Bulgaria, Romania, and the Czech Republic
A Downing Street spokesperson said: “The Prime Minister spoke to the President of the European Commission Jean Claude Juncker by phone this evening.
“They had a positive and substantive conversation, where the Prime Minister updated Jean Claude Juncker on his recent discussions with EU leaders, including at the G7.
“The Prime Minister set out that the UK will be leaving the EU on October 31, whatever the circumstances, and that we absolutely want to do so with a deal. The PM was also clear however that unless the Withdrawal Agreement is reopened and the backstop abolished there is no prospect of that deal.
(Image: REUTERS)
“The Prime Minister reiterated his commitment to Belfast/Good Friday Agreement in all its parts.
“He underlined the importance of ensuring the peace, prosperity and security of Northern Ireland and said that we will never place infrastructure, checks, or controls at the border.
“The leaders noted that their teams would continue their informal discussions and they agreed to remain in touch.”
European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker told Boris Johnson that while the EU is fully prepared for a no-deal scenario, it will do everything it can to avoid such a situation. A no-deal scenario will only ever be the UK’s decision, not the EU’s,’ according to his spokeswoman.
Privately UK government officials sounded a note of caution about an imminent breakthrough insisting that talks held today and this week were just the next step in the process.
It comes as Labour was forced to shelve plans to install Jeremy Corbyn as a caretaker PM to reach a cross-party agreement on stopping no-deal Brexit .
Party leaders plan further meetings in the coming days after spending more than an hour in Mr Corbyn’s Commons office.
Labour’s original plan to hold a no-confidence vote and install Corbyn as interim PM had to be put on the back burner after Liberal Democrat leader Jo Swinson warned that the condition of Corbyn as PM could prevent Tory MPs backing a bid to bring down Boris Johnson.
They hit back at the ‘petulant’ Lib Dems before dropping the proposal to secure an agreement on legislation.
Mr Corbyn said: “We are putting first the legislative proposal next week and that’s what the agreement was reached this morning to do, that’s what we are doing.
“The motion of no confidence will be put, by me, at an appropriate time but obviously not the first item next Tuesday, because I believe it’s important that we get on with a legislative process which prevents the Prime Minister acting in defiance of the will of Parliament – which was demonstrated by an enormous majority saying that we do not believe this country should crash out without a deal.
“The Prime Minister needs to respect Parliament and understand the role of Parliament is to question and challenge the executive.”
(Image: PA)
The Labour leader also Corbyn wrote to 116 Tory MPs including Theresa May and Philip Hammond who voted against no deal.
It came as a cross-party group of around 160 MPs signed a ‘declaration’ at Westminster’s historic Church House on their own separate bids to stop a no-deal Brexit.
Speaking at the event, shadow chancellor John McDonnell said Prime Minister Boris Johnson was threatening democracy by not ruling out proroguing Parliament to push through a no-deal Brexit.
He added: “Prime ministers come and prime ministers go. But actually I don’t think we have ever seen a Prime Minister like this who has the potential to threaten the very nature of our democracy.”
Meanwhile, Labour say High Court judges can block the PM from forcing through a no-deal Brexit according to advice from their shadow attorney general, Shami Chakrabarti.
