Brexit circus continues: Ex-Tory PM John Major threatens Boris Johnson with legal action over no-deal Brexit

RT
Wed, 10 Jul 2019 16:40 UTC

© Reuters / Peter Nicholls ; Reuters / Rebecca Naden

Former UK Prime Minister John Major ; (R) Tory leadership candidate Boris Johnson

Former Tory prime minister Sir John Major has warned Boris Johnson that he is willing to take him to court, if he doesn't rule out shutting down the UK Parliament to ram through a no-deal Brexit.

During an interview with BBC Radio 4's Today program, Major, who was Britain's PM from 1990 to 1997, insisted that if Johnson asks the Queen to prorogue parliament, he and many others would be willing to take legal action against the leadership favorite.

I for one would be prepared to seek a judicial review to prevent parliament being bypassed... I'm not going to stand by and see [parliamentary traditions] disregarded in this fashion.

The ardent EU advocate explained that the Queen's decision to grant a suspension of parliament "cannot be challenged in law, but the prime minister's advice to the Queen" can be.

In a sly dig at Johnson, the former Tory PM claimed that "no serious politician" should put the Queen in such a "constitutional controversy," and insisted that national leaders should be "putting the interests of the country first... not themselves."

It comes after Johnson and his rival for the top job, Jeremy Hunt, traded blows on Tuesday night during a live debate on ITV. Johnson, a former London mayor and foreign secretary, appeared to double down on his threat to shut down parliament, insisting that he was "not going to take anything off the table."

The fractious debate between the pair saw Johnson promise to get Britain off the "hamster wheel of doom" by delivering Brexit by October 31 - deadline day. While Hunt, the current foreign secretary, prompted laughter from the studio audience after saying of Johnson: "You ask him a question, he puts a smile on your face and you forget the question."

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Major is a upper-crust Remainer from way back, even calling for ignoring the Brexit referendum when the people came out for leaving the EU. For him, the present system is working fine.

Ex-PM John Major: 'Tyranny of the majority' can't decide Brexit terms

Yet another former prime minister has come out arguing Brexit does not necessarily mean Brexit and that the referendum result could still be overturned. Former Conservative leader Sir John Major told guests at a private dinner that Remain voters should also decide on the terms and conditions of Britain withdrawing from the European Union.

"I hear the argument that the 48 percent of people who voted to stay should have no say in what happens," Major said during a speech commemorating the 100th anniversary of David Lloyd George's premiership. "I find that very difficult to accept," he added. "The tyranny of the majority has never applied in a democracy and it should not apply in this particular democracy."