Labour attempts to stop no-deal Brexit

Britain's Labour Party made a fresh bid to seize control of the Brexit parliamentary process on Wednesday - and at the same time potentially change the direction of the race to be the country's next prime minister.

The Conservative Party is looking for a new leader to replace Theresa May.

Several contenders, including favorite Boris Johnson, have said they are willing to take the country out of the European Union at the end of October without ironing out any details, but Wednesday's opposition debate - backed by the Liberal Democrats, Scottish National Party and at least one leading Conservative, Sir Oliver Letwin - could prevent that.

Labour's bid aims to take control of the parliamentary agenda for June 25, and get binding legislation passed which would eliminate the option of a no-deal Brexit, and also prevent future leaders from suspending Parliament to force through any such arrangement.

The usually high-profile Johnson let rivals including Michael Gove and Jeremy Hunt launch their campaigns before starting his own leadership bid on Wednesday.

"After three years and two missed deadlines, we must leave the EU on Oct 31.

"With every week and month that goes by in which we fail to deliver on our promise," he said. "I am afraid we will further alienate not just our natural supporters but anyone who believes that politicians should deliver on their promises."

But if Labour's motion is successful, the next leader could not take the country out without a renegotiated deal with the EU. However, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker has repeated that this is not an option, saying that the 585-page exit treaty already agreed upon was not a treaty between Theresa May and Juncker but a treaty between the UK and the EU.

The parliamentary Conservative Party will whittle the ten candidates down to a final two, with the final choice being made by party members nationwide.

Johnson is likely to be hugely personally popular at that level, but if "no deal" is ruled out as an option, he may not even make it that far. Business Secretary Greg Clark has warned that a no-deal exit would be "political suicide" for the party. He has given his backing to Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt.

Candidates Esther McVey and Dominic Raab have both spoken of their willingness to enact a no-deal Brexit, but Rory Stewart, an outsider whose somewhat eccentric campaigning style has already gathered huge publicity, told the BBC "No-deal is a terrible thing ...the best way of stopping no-deal is to vote for a candidate who is against no-deal."

julian@mail.chinadailyuk.com

(China Daily 06/13/2019 page12)