Boris Johnson is threatening to sack rebel Tory MPs who vote to block a no-deal Brexit, it has been claimed.
Boris Johnson is planning the move to quell a bid by MPs to rush a law through Parliament to delay Brexit beyond October 31, Sun columnist James Forsyth reveals today.
The PM will treat next week’s vital Commons votes like a no-confidence vote in his Government, with rebel Tories disqualified from contesting their seats.
Former pro-Remain Cabinet ministers such as David Gauke and Philip Hammond would end their careers as Tory MPs if they back the legislation.
No10 hopes the move will persuade some waverers not to rebel.
It deals a major blow to Remainers’ hopes of blocking a No Deal as they see next week as the last chance to thwart Mr Johnson’s Brexit plans before he suspends Parliament the following week.
Meanwhile, ex-PM Gordon Brown claims EU leaders are prepared to offer an extension to Article 50 to avoid a No Deal.
But a source said that while such a move is “possible”, it would also require UK Government approval.
The move, however, raises the risk of the PM losing a no-confidence vote that could follow next week’s showdown as rebels could decide they have nothing to lose after rebelling.
It came after the PM told his party’s Remainers that their efforts to pass a new law to delay Brexit again eased pressure on the EU to offer Britain a new deal.
He said that if the EU thinks MPs can block a No Deal it will be “less likely” to compromise on changes he is demanding to the Withdrawal Agreement.
