The Leader of the House of Commons opened up on what he foresees happening in the coming weeks, with just 31 days to go until the Brexit deadline. Appearing on the Daily Telegraph’s “Chopper’s Brexit Podcast” at the Conservative Party conference in Manchester, the staunch Eurosceptic was asked how his party would stay true to its promise to deliver on the result of the June 2016 referendum.
He said: “The most obvious way is with a deal. If we get a deal it is provided for that we leave, the Benn Act falls away. And that is what the government is aiming for. That is government policy.”
Mr Rees-Mogg, who has been MP for North East Somerset since 2010, was pressed on how the prime minister would get around having to write a letter to Brussels requesting a further extension on October 19 – the date the Benn Act would force him to do so.
He reiterated Mr Johnson’s vow the Government would not break the law while leaving the door open for a potential veto from an EU leader when it comes to an extension.
“There are legal requirements and the government will always obey the law,” he said.
“But the question of Article 50 and its exercise is not entirely a UK matter.”
The Tory MP went on to trash Remainer MPs who portrayed themselves as anti-no-deal Brexiteers when in fact they are against Brexit altogether.
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“This has to be decided in a general election, in the normal constitutional way and then we will see what happens.”
He said giving the British public a vote would bringing an end to the “completely dysfunctional Parliament” which “cannot get anything done”.
The former chairman of the fiercely pro-Brexit European Research Group (ERG) also spoke about Mr Johnson’s controversial decision to dub the Benn Act the “Surrender Act”.
He said it was indeed a Surrender Act and could event be called the “Capitulation Act” or the “Humiliation Act”.
He called out Remainer MPs who supported the Act for their criticism of the prime minister for renaming the law but refusing to condemn Opposition politicians for their language.
“The hypocrisy of it is shocking,” he said.
“You have John McDonnell who said that Esther McVey should be lynched. Lynched! You know, that’s not saying a Surrender Act, that is calling for physical violence. And that’s what the hard Left is like.”
The Prime Minister’s father Stanley Johnson told Sky News he was “100 percent” sure the UK and the EU would reach a deal before Halloween.
Mr Johnson is expected to give a closing speech on Wednesday shortly before the conference wraps up.
