Sir Oliver Letwin today defended his successful bid to delay Brexit in concert with Remain campaigner Gina Miller’s QC.
The ousted Tory MP spoke out after he led an amendment forcing Boris Johnson to ask for a delay Brexit, even if he gets a deal.
Sir Oliver has been widely attacked in Sunday newspapers for working with crossbench peer Lord Pannick, who helped Ms Miller defeat the government in the Supreme Court.
The Sunday Times claimed he took instructions from Lord Pannick down the phone on Friday – a claim the QC flatly denied.
One source told the newspaper: “Pannick is the organ grinder. Letwin’s just the useful idiot”.
After he was accused of “collusion”, Sir Oliver confirmed the pair had worked together and added “I’ve ‘colluded’ with the Lords.”
But he said he would not describe such behaviour as collusion – simply that “I think politicians should work together” in a democracy.
(Image: PA)
Asked if Lord Pannick helped draft the legislation, he told the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show: “Yes, we’ve had some of the best lawyers in the land who are in the House of Lords working for us.
“Without being paid by anybody I may say, purely pro bono, and I’m extremely grateful to them.
“When you’re putting forward legislation it should be proper professional legislation that really first class lawyers have looked at.”
Boris Johnson had wanted to force MPs into a straight “meaningful vote” on his Brexit deal.
But instead, MPs voted 322-306 for an amendment to “withhold” approval for the deal, “unless and until” every part of it has passed into UK law.
(Image: Dan Kitwood)
Sir Oliver insisted he wasn’t trying to scupper Brexit – merely setting up an insurance policy to prevent no-deal by accident.
He feared there’d be a legal loophole if the deal still wasn’t encoded in law by the time it was too late to change the October 31 deadline.
Defending his actions today Sir Oliver said: “Yesterday wasn’t about the deal, despite all the hype.
“Yesterday was about the question, whether the Benn Act will still be effective and whether we’ll get an extension, if for any reason we haven’t got the deal completed by October 31.
“And that, I felt, and have continued to feel, is very important. We need the safeguard, the insurance policy that if we don’t get this passed by October 31 we don’t just crash out of the EU.
“That was what yesterday was about. Next week is about the deal and the Bill, I’ll vote for the deal, I’ll vote for the Bill.”
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Most (though not all) of those who backed his amendment were against Boris Johnson’s deal – despite Sir Oliver being in favour.
He admitted sometimes “you have to ally yourself with some strange people”.
But he insisted “I’d vote for any deal” and said he will now put forward no further amendments.
“There will be no more Oliver Letwin amendments next week,” he said.
“I’m absolutely behind the government now.
“As long as they continue with this bill continue with the deal I will support it I will vote for it, as I did with Theresa May three times.”
