Brexit bulldog Mr Cox said there is no legal basis that would restrict new Prime Minister Mr Johnson from enforcing Brexit even if the UK was in the midst of a general election. Despite Mr Johnson yesterday insisting he had no plans to call a snap general election, he could still face a vote of no confidence when the summer recess is over and Parliament resumes in September. Though senior figures believe Mr Johnson is legally entitled to disregard tradition should a seven-week general election clash with the Halloween Brexit deadline – the third after former leader Theresa May begged the EU for a delay twice.
This means Mr Johnson, who campaigned endlessly for Leave in the 2016 referendum, could continue with Brexit and leave the EU without a deal.
Remainer Dominic Greive, who launched a failed attack in the Commons last week to stop Mr Johnson opting for a no deal Brexit, believes otherwise.
He told The Times: “No important policy decisions should be taken which could fetter the freedom of an incoming government.
“No greater fetter could exist than if we irrevocably withdraw from a major treaty.”
Today, Mr Johnson told the nation to “get ready” for a no deal Brexit after bruising telephone calls with EU leaders Angela Merkel and Emmanuel Macron saw him lay down the law on the Irish backstop.
He said: “On the risk of a no deal Brexit, or the prospect of a no deal Brexit, well, we have just got to get ready for it. I don’t think that’s where we will end up.
“But as I have told our European friends, we are going to prepare very actively for that eventuality in high confidence that this is an amazing country and we will get through it if we need to.”
Referring to the phone calls with the German and French leader, he said: “As to whether my friends across the Channel are warming to me, well I have always had very good relations.
“I have very friendly relations with the other EU foreign ministers already and EU leaders as well. We will build on them.”
He also pledged to Manchester to find a new multi-million pound rail link between the city and Leeds to regenerate the North.
