'Johnson must quit if he breaks the law'

'Johnson must quit if he breaks the law'
Credit: Belga

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will legally have to request another Brexit delay if there is no new agreement with the EU by the end of October. 

Failing to do so would be breaking the law and cause a constitutional judicial crisis so Johnson would have to step down, according to a ruling by eminent legal experts.

The Labour party has a copy of the ruling and it was also published online by The Guardian. 

In a statement issued on Saturday, Boris Johnson claimed he felt only “theoretically” bound by the law that was voted in on Friday. This law forces him to delay the UK’s exit from the EU yet again if there is no new agreement.

The UK is currently expected to leave at the end of October. The Tory PM would prefer to ignore the law rather than push Brexit back any further. 

The Queen’s Counsel, a group of eminent legal experts, said the Prime Minister could face a tribunal if he attempted to remain at Downing Street while refusing to obey the law. Labour’s Brexit Secretary Keir Starmer received a copy of their ruling. 

The House of Lords successfully blocked a “no-deal” on Friday. The House of Commons voted in a law that excluded a no-deal Brexit on Wednesday, and the Queen is expected to ratify that law on Monday. 

Boris Johnson stated on Thursday he would “rather die” than delay Brexit again. The PM wants the UK to leave the EU on the 31st of October, “with or without a deal.” 

In Brussels, the chief spokesperson of the European Commission said that last week that the British government would have to come up with a “good reason” if it requested a new delay but declined to specify what that meant as there was no request yet. It will be up to the European Council to deal with the request.

A “good reason” would no doubt be the need to avoid a no-deal Brexit, not only for the best interests of the UK but also for the EU that despite emergency preparations for a no-deal scenario will face economic disruptions, especially if the economy enters a recession.

The Brussels Times


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