Philip Hammond has confirmed he will resign as chancellor if Boris Johnson becomes the new prime minister next week, saying he could not serve under someone who was seeking a no-deal Brexit.
Hammond made the announcement live on BBC One’s Andrew Marr Show, saying he would formally resign just before Johnson replaced Theresa May on Wednesday.
It comes after the justice secretary, David Gauke, made the same pledge, leaving Johnson with the prospect of a group of powerful ex-ministers on the backbenches seeking to block no deal.
Asked by Marr if he expected to be sacked soon, Hammond said: “No, I’m sure I’m not going to be sacked because I’m going to resign before we get to that point. Assuming that Boris Johnson becomes the next prime minister, I understand that his conditions for serving in his government would include accepting a no-deal exit on 31 October and that’s not something that I could ever sign up to.
“It’s very important that the prime minister is able to have a chancellor who is closely aligned with him in terms of policy and I therefore intend to resign to Theresa May before she goes to the palace to tender her own resignation on Wednesday.”
Saying such an announcement on live TV was “a first”, Hammond said he would still be on the front bench for May’s last outing at prime minister’s questions on Wednesday: “I intend to resign after prime minister’s questions, before the prime minister goes to the palace.”
Asked if he would also resign if Jeremy Hunt won, Hammond said: “That might be more complicated, because Jeremy’s position is more nuanced, and I haven’t heard him express clearly a requirement for a sort of loyalty pledge around a 31 October no-deal exit.”
Prorogation is the official term that marks the end of a parliamentary session. After being advised to do so by the prime minister, the Queen formally prorogues Parliament. This takes the form of an announcement in the House of Lords on the Queen’s behalf. It is a speech, written by the government, which usually describes the bills which have been passed during that session, and summarises what has been achieved.
It means that all work on existing legislation stops, and MPs and Lords stop sitting. Prorogation also automatically kills any bills, early day motions or questions to ministers going through parliament.
Parliament can then be reopened a few days later with a fresh slate of legislation intentions, set out in a new Queen’s Speech at the formal State Opening of Parliament.
Hammond denied he would be a focus of continued rebellion against Johnson, saying his only aim would be to stop a Johnson government forcing through no deal without the explicit consent of MPs, for example by proroguing parliament.
Other than no deal, Hammond said, he held no major policy disagreements with Johnson, who he called “a very engaging character”.
Hammond also denied he had already moved out of 11 Downing Street after he was pictured on Saturday leaving with suitcases, saying he was simply heading to his constituency for the weekend: “I shall be heading back tomorrow morning, with my same suitcase.”
Gauke, who has served in May’s cabinet since she took office in June 2016, told the Sunday Times he would not be able to serve under Johnson if he pursued a no-deal Brexit.
He said: “Given that I’ve been in the cabinet since Theresa May came to power, I think the appropriate thing is for me to resign.”
He added: “If the test of loyalty to stay in the cabinet is a commitment to support no deal on 31 October – which, to be fair to him, Boris has consistently said – then that’s not something I’m prepared to sign up to.”
The paper also reported that up to six Tory MPs were considering defecting to the Liberal Democrats should Johnson beat Hunt and enter No 10 – leaving him with no majority in the Commons.
The ballot for the Tory leadership race will close on Monday, with the result announced the following day.
