LAST FRIDAY, evidence from Boris Johnson assured a Scottish court, in his own name, that he would send a letter to the EU, as required by the Remain House of Commons, requesting a postponement of the October 31st date for leaving the EU, if the House of Commons rejects his proposed deal with the EU.
This is something that Johnson had earlier dismissed saying that he would sooner end up ‘dead in a ditch’ than send such a ‘surrender letter’ to the EU.
The court was meeting to allow the judiciary to decide what would be done if Johnson refused to sign a ‘surrender letter’.
The solution being sought by the SNP and other ‘Remain’ parties was that refusal would see Johnson jailed by the court which would then sign the letter to EU leaders on behalf of Johnson, asking for another extension of the leaving date.
Jolyon Maugham, QC, one of the three main petitioners commented: ‘What we learned today is that the Prime Minister has promised the court in his own name that he will ask for an extension under the Benn Act if the conditions are satisfied. In other words, if Parliament has not before the 19 October agreed a Withdrawal Agreement.
‘He has also promised the court that he will not frustrate the Benn Act, by which is meant he will not send two letters, one saying, “can I have an extension?” the other saying, “please don’t give me one”; he won’t collude with foreign governments to attempt to persuade those foreign governments to veto the extension.’
Maugham continued: ‘Then on Tuesday we now know that we will have a full hearing before the Inner House of the Court of Session in which the Inner House will consider whether or not, if the Prime Minister refuses to do what he has today told the court that he will do, the court can sign the letter for the Prime Minister, the letter mandated by the Benn Act.’
The PM is now in the hands of the law courts and under threat of incarceration. However, in the Sun newspaper yesterday he sang an entirely different tune.
He wrote: ‘We will be packing our bags and walking out on October 31st. The only question is whether Brussels cheerily waves us off with a mutually agreeable deal, or whether we will be forced to head off on our own.’
Johnson concluded his article by stating that: ‘We are leaving in 25 days. We can do it with a deal if the EU is willing … There will be no more dither or delays. On October 31st we are going to get Brexit done.’
Meanwhile, Tory MPs were telling The Sunday Telegraph something entirely different.
This was that ‘Boris Johnson would veto the EU’s seven-year budget and send a Euro-commissioner to Brussels to “disrupt” the bloc’s workings if he were forced into a Brexit delay, under plans being discussed by ministers.’
The Telegraph added that ‘Senior ministers discussed the prospect of sending Nigel Farage, the leader of the Brexit Party, to take up the role.’
This means that the UK will be fighting the EU from within and not walking out to freedom, after the opposition forces Johnson to carry out the dictates of the surrender bill, and seek an extension, if the EU and the House of Commons does not support his deal.
Johnson has now announced that he will be going all out for a compromise agreement. After five hours of talks on Friday, the two sides have not agreed to enter the so-called ‘tunnel’ of intense negotiations on a final legal text.
One of the EU’s minimum demands is that Northern Ireland must remain in the EU customs union.
The UK has informed the European Commission it would do further work over the weekend and possibly submit clarifications by Monday.
The danger is that Johnson will present a redesigned agreement to the House of Commons to keep the North in the customs union – then his deal will be a May deal plus.
This matter is too vital to be left in the hands of the Tories and the Labour traitors. Workers must be ready to take action to take the UK out of the EU on October 31st, with a general strike to bring down the Tory government and bring in a workers government that will quit the EU and go forward to socialism!
