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U.K. Conservative Lose Majority in Parliament; Johnson: We Can Get a Deal with Brussels; U.K. Lawmakers to Vote on bill Blocking No-Deal Brexit . Aired 11a-12p ET
Aired September 03, 2019 - 11:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[11:00:00]
JEREMY CORBYN, LABOUR PARTY LEADER: Will he urge the Chinese government to stick to the Joint Declaration of 1984 and stand up for the rights of
citizens in Hong Kong.
Mr. Speaker, later today this House has a last chance to stop this government from riding rough shot over constitutional and democratic rights
in this country so that a cabal in Downing Street can crash as out without a deal, without any democratic mandate and against the majority of public
opinion. He isn't winning friends in Europe, he is losing friends at home. This is a government with no mandate, no morals and as of today no
majority.
BORIS JOHNSON, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: Mr. Speaker, the right honorable gentlemen knows full well that this country is engaged actively with our
European friends and partners to make sense of the Iran Nuclear Deal and to ensure that deal continues. And he will know that the (INAUDIBLE), my
honorable friend the foreign secretary continues to work actively to secure the release and not just of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe but all the very sad
counselor cases that we are currently dealing with in Iran. I pay tribute to him and to the work of all of his officials.
Mr. Speaker, I am glad for what he said about the importance of preserving democracy in Hong Kong and he will observe the strength of the G-7
statement on that matter. But quite frankly, when it comes to the bill that he is assisting in bringing forward tomorrow with the procedure that
is coming forward tonight, Mr. Speaker, there has been no doubt. This is a Bennite, a former Bennite, opposite, I mean, he still is a Bennite I
believe. He is a man -- he is a man who voted against every single piece of EU legislation. He voted against Mascot. He voted against Lisbon, time
and time again. He has said that we must uphold the result of the EU referendum. Time and time again he has said that he is on the side of
democracy and vindicating the will of the people.
What do we see now, Mr. Speaker. He has been converted, he has been converted with his hordes of momentum activists trying to take over the
streets, converted into the agent of those who would subvert democracy and overturn the will of the people. He is the (INAUDIBLE) that is what he
wants to do. He wants to entrust the decision about how long this country remains in European Union to our friends and partners in Brussels and not
to this house. That is not democracy.
Mr. Speaker. I'm afraid that the right honorable gentlemen the opposite. Inadvertently or not, has become the agent of further delay, further
confusion, further uncertainty for business in this country and abroad. That is what he is prescribing. That is what he stands for. That is the
result of his policy and I urge everybody on all sides of the House not to support his approach. Let us go forward and not back with the honorable
member opposite.
SPEAKER: Mr. Kenneth Clarke.
KENNETH CLARKE, CONSERVATIVE MP: Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister is strong and knock about the performance today, mainly confirms it seems to me his
obvious strategy which is to set conditions which make no-deal inevitable. To make sure as much blame as possible is attached to the EU. And to this
House for that consequence, and then as quickly as he can, fight a flag waving general election before the consequences of no-deal become too
obvious to the public. As my right honorable friend would let me know whether that clear explanation of his policy is one, he entirely accepts.
And will he also accept that if he gets his way and gets no-deal, we then have to begin years of negotiations with the Europeans and the rest of the
world about getting new trade, security other arrangements in force. And does he seriously think this that approach will obtain from any other
country in the world a free trade arrangement which is half as good as the common market which Conservative governments have helped put together over
the years.
JOHNSON: Mr. Speaker, I may, as he knows, I am a very keen fan and lifelong fan.
SPEAKER: I want to hear what the -- order. Sit down. Sit down.
I want to hear what the Prime Minister has to say in response to the question. And that answer, that response must be heard. Mr. Prime
Minister.
[11:05:00]
JOHNSON: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am a long-standing admirer of the right honorable gentlemen, and I was the only member of the 2001 intake to
vote for my right honorable friend as leader of the Conservative Party. I won't the fact that I don't think that he might stand me for it at the time
was it. But I've long been a fan of his, and indeed in many ways, we are united in our views. And I agree with him, Mr. Speaker, I don't want an
election. I don't want an election. We don't want an election. I don't think he wants an election, Mr. Speaker, by the way, as far as I can make
it out. And I bet we don't want an election. We want to get the deal done. And the best way, Mr. Speaker, to get a deal is to support the
government in the lobbies tonight.
SPEAKER: Ian Blackford.
IAN BLACKFORD, LEADER OF THE SCOTTISH NATIONAL PARTY: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Can I thank the Prime Minister for advance site of his statement.
My goodness, this is the second time the Prime Minister has been at the dispatch box. This must be the shortest-lived honeymoon in parliamentary
history. You simply have to look around the benches, and he says he doesn't want an election. His colleagues certainly don't want one but I'll
let you in on a secret, we do. Because we want people of Scotland to able to have their say on this shambolic government.
The leader of the House talks about the strategy of the Prime Minister. And I have to say to him respectfully, when we hear use of the word
collaborators, when we hear the use of the word surrender, the Prime Minister really should have some dignity and show some respect to the
office that he temporarily holds. And of course I think one of the most remarkable things that took place during the statement was to see the
member from Bracknell across the floor. Prime Minister, you've lost your majority.
Mr. Speaker, over the weekend we saw commemorations across the world to mark the 80th anniversary of Second World War, when brave citizens came
together and stood together against tyranny. My thoughts and those of my party and with those who suffered, the veterans and the families.
We should also recognize that the European Union has the legacy of two world wars that ripped Europe apart. The European Union has been an
important vehicle for peace and stability in Europe.
Coming to the G-7 summit, Mr. Speaker, I wish to express my shared concern of the unrest in Hong Kong. I also associate myself with the actions on
climate change and protecting the Amazon Rainforest.
But Mr. Speaker, I do take issue with President Trump's comments in relation to Russia. It is not acceptable to condone Russia's military and
cyber aggression around the world. Furthermore, while the summit declared its support for progress in the U.K., the President of the United States
failed to challenge Russia's violation of international law in Ukraine. And other utterly disgraceful lack of leadership from the President of the
United States.
Mr. Speaker, following the summit, the Prime Minister displayed his own lack of leadership by moving to proroguing Parliament and strip power away
from elected representatives. Closing down Parliament by sending three privy counselors to instruct the Queen to sanction the closure of
Parliament. Three privy counselors acting on the instruction of the Prime Minister to shut down Parliament. Where is the democracy in that?
And where we can dance around and profess to speak for the people, Mr. Speaker, we all know the truth. He is in fact doing the opposite by
proroguing Parliament the Prime Minister is robbing the people of power. Robbing them over a say over their future. In true champion style, the
Prime Minister is acting more like a dictator than a democrat. He talks about the will of the people. What about the will of the people of
Scotland. Prime Minister, the Scottish people did not vote for Brexit. The people of Scotland did not vote for a no-deal Brexit. They did not
vote for the Tory party and they certainly did not vote for this Prime Minister.
The people of Scotland voted to remain in the European Union. Scottish people voted overwhelmingly against the Tory party in this government. The
people of Scotland made their choice and they chose that the SNP should be their voice. So I ask the Prime Minister, are you a democrat or not? Do
you respect the will of the Scottish people or not? And will you, Prime Minister, if you believe yourself not to be the latter, then will you give
the people back their say, allow Parliament to have its say.
[11:10:00]
Respect the will of Parliament in stopping a no-deal Brexit. No deal Brexit that would be devastating for jobs and communities.
JOHNSON: Mr. Speaker, the right honorable gentlemen makes a serious point about the U.S.'s attitude toward Russia. May I just tell you, I remind him
that when it came to Skripal poisonings in Salisbury, the United States expelled 60 diplomats in support of the U.K., it's solidarity with the U.K.
and to show their revulsion at Russian behavior.
As for whether or not it is right to have a Queen's speech, Mr. Speaker, the opposition has been calling for a Queen's speech just about every week.
And finally, they get one and they protest.
On the EU it remains, of course, the policy of the Scottish Nationalist Party, once we come out of the European Union on October 31st, it is their
policy, their revived policy there inevitably committed to this by logic to go back into the EU. That's what they say they want to do, if they were to
achieve independence. To submit to the whole (INAUDIBLE) of EU law. To scrap the pound in favor of some unknown currency hitherto unbaptize the
salmon law, sturgeon or whatever it happens to be. And above all, to hand back control of Scotland's fisheries to the EU, just as they have been
reclaimed by this country. What an extraordinary policy. What an extraordinary policy, Mr. Speaker.
SPEAKER: Sir John Redwood.
SIR JOHN REDWOOD, BRITISH CONSERVATIVE MP: Will the Prime Minister confirm from the 1st of November, it will be the U.K. government and authorities in
control of our ports like Dover and would he confirm that it will be the government's policy to ensure smooth transit of food, pharmaceuticals and
other goods into the country as today and that that will be the policy so there will not be shortages.
JOHNSON: I am grateful to my right honorable friend and I can confirm that is exactly what the chancellor and others are preparing for months and that
those measures are now well in train.
Speaker: Jo Swinson.
JO SWINSON, LEADER OF THE LIBERAL DEMOCRATS, BRITISH MP: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Prime Minister has lost his majority with the honorable
member for Bracknell joining the Liberal Democrats. Doctors like him tell me they want to stop Brexit because it will plunge our NHS into deep
crisis, hemorrhaging vital staff and threatening access to life-saving medicines. When will the Prime Minister stop playing with people's lives
and stop Brexit?
JOHNSON: I'm glad that right honorable lady who has given the occasion to remind the House that in fact 700 more doctors in the NHS since the vote to
leave the EU, and actually just in the last six weeks. Mr. Speaker, we have been able to announce another 1.8 billion going to 20 new hospital
upgrades around the country, in addition to 34 billion extra their conservative government put in the NHS. Mr. Speaker, I am grateful to her
for allowing me to point that out.
SPEAKER: Mr. Philip Hammond.
PHILIP HAMMOND, BRITISH CONSERVATIVE MP: Mr. Speaker, my right honorable friend has assured me that he is very keen to get the deal with the
European Union. But last Friday, Chancellor Merkel of Germany observed somewhat acerbically that 9 days into the 30 days that the Prime Minister
had requested during a visit to Berlin, she hadn't yet seen any proposals from the United Kingdom. Could the Prime Minister now make commitment to
publish this afternoon the U.K.'s proposals so those of us considering what to do later today can have had the benefit to seeing them, and will he
further commit to transmitting those proposals without delay to the European Union.
JOHNSON: Actually as I told my right honorable friend this morning, the Chancellor Merkel was making an elementary point, which is that we could
easily do a deal within 30 days, and we certainly shall. And what she also said is that there is no point in what my friends across the EU have said,
is that there is no point in having a negotiation as long -- beginning formal talks, as long as there's a risk that Parliament will make
negotiations impossible by taking away the ability of the country to negotiate.
[11:15:00]
So every time we set out ideas, the first thing they ask, Mr. Speaker, is what will Parliament do. So I urge my friends tonight, I urge colleagues
tonight to give us the leeway to get the deal that we need. It is very, very clear the deal that can be done, the outlines of it are very clear.
If members have been listening in my statement earlier, they would have heard the rough shape of what that deal can be. Both in getting
alternative arrangements and in solving problems of the Irish back stop.
I'm afraid by their actions they're making chances -- I must regretfully say this to the House -- they're making the chances of that deal less
likely. We're working flat out to secure it. But the measures, if passed tonight would make our prospects of success much less likely.
SPEAKER: Hilary Benn.
HILARY BENN, BRITISH LABOUR MP: Mr. Speaker, it's not just Chancellor Merkel who has confirmed that no substantive proposals have been put
forward. Last weekend the Irish Deputy Prime Minister said and I quote, nothing credible has come from the British government, end of quote, on
alternatives to the back stop. It's also reported the Attorney General told the Prime Minister at the beginning of August that if he insisted on
removal of the back stop, it would inevitably result in no-deal. Is that true?
If it's true, can the Prime Minister try and persuade the House why it is credible to argue that progress is being made in negotiations because
there's a growing number of members that have come to the conclusion what he really wants is a no-deal Brexit. And that is why many of us will try
over the next two days to prevent that from happening.
JOHNSON: Mr. Speaker, the sad truth is there are many members in the House, and I'm afraid including the right honorable gentlemen opposite who
simply want to block Brexit. And that's the truth. That is the reality. And that is the reality. And they are using the discussion of a so-called
no-deal Brexit to conceal their real intentions. And by their measures tonight and tomorrow, they will be fatally undermining this government's
ability to negotiate a deal. That is the reality.
We can get a deal. We can remove the back stop. And he knows well what this country needs to do. Because it's agreed on all sides of the House.
The problem with the Drawn Agreement, it is not just the Political Declaration, it is the back stop. That makes an agreement impossible on
both sides of the House. And as long as this House is proposing motions such as the ones tonight and tomorrow, I'm afraid we have no chance of
getting progress from our EU friends.
SPEAKER: Mrs. Anne Main
MRS. ANNE MAIN, BRITISH CONSERVATIVE MP: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. What discussions does my right honorable friend have about the
green Climate Change Fund and what progress has been made and can he give us an update.
JOHNSON: I am grateful to my honorable friend. And we are indeed as I said at the G-7, if my memory serves me correctly, we're making a
contribution of over 1.4 billion pounds to the Green Climate Fund, and it is a high priority of this government.
SPEAKER: Mr. Nigel Dodds.
NIGEL DODDS, BRITISH DEMOCRATIC UNIONIST PARTY MP: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Can I welcome what the Prime Minister has said about the back stop because
he knows as well as the entire House knows that that is one of the fundamental reasons why the withdrawal agreement could not get through this
House. Not only is it anti-democratic in the sense that laws would be needed for the economy of Northern Ireland, and nobody in Belfast or London
would have any say at all in making of them or even ask questions about them.
But it's also contrary to the principles the people say they agree in in the Belfast Agreement and the surrounding agreements, which requires the
consent of both communities, and the new unionist party in Northern Ireland, any member of it supports the back stop. Can I also welcome his
commitment to a deal. Because we are committed to getting a deal, a good deal for Northern Ireland and the United Kingdom.
And when he meets the Irish Prime Minister on Monday, when he meets the Irish Prime Minister Monday, which I welcome, can he convey to the Prime
Minister as we have tried to convey to him that it would be entirely sensible and reasonable for him to sit down with us and other
representatives of unionists in Northern Ireland for direct discussions which would be very helpful in the current atmosphere, but which the Irish
government has consistently refused to do. At the same time, preaching to others about the need for conciliation and movement and progress. So I
appeal to the Prime Minister on behalf of everyone in Northern Ireland to try to get some momentum into the discussions between the Irish Republic
and unionists in Northern Ireland.
[11:20:00]
JOHNSON: I am grateful to the right honorable gentlemen for his support. He perfectly understands the issues and he knows that he and I are at one
in seeking to get rid of the back stop. And I believe we can get rid of the back stop.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: How!
JOHNSON: We can. They say that they want do. They don't want it. We can make progress. We can make progress. We can make progress but not if we
take away the possibility of no-deal, which is what the right honorable gentlemen is proposing to do. And not if we give the power, if we give the
power infinitely to extend U.K. membership of the EU to Brussels, which is what this bill would do.
SPEAKER: Patrick McLoughlin.
PATRICK MCLOUGHLIN, BRITISH CONSERVATIVE MP: Will the Prime Minister reflect on the fact that when the House of Commons debated the European
referendum bill, it was passed through the majority of 6-1. When the House debated the European notification of withdrawal, it was passed 4-1 by this
House. What does he think a further 3- or 6-month delay will achieve, other than betraying those people and those votes that we've already. I
passionately agree with what my right honorable friend just said. And I ask, I urge all those thinking tonight and tomorrow voting to extend again
beyond October 31st, exactly what they're seeking to do. What the purpose of the extension would be. Believe me, people in this country want to get
on with it and come out.
SPEAKER: Angela Eagle.
ANGELA EAGLE, BRITISH LABOUR MP: Mr. Speaker, I am sure completely inadvertently the Prime Minister failed to answer a question that my right
honorable friend put to him earlier, and that that if a bill passes, which makes it illegal to leave without a deal, will him and his government abide
by the rule of law.
JOHNSON: I'm grateful. We will of course uphold the constitution, obey the law.
SPEAKER: (INAUDIBLE).
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Given the huge amount of political repression going on in Russia at the moment, does my right honorable friend agree with
President Trump that now is the right time to bring Russia back into the G- 7?
Johnson: No. And I made that point very clearly at Biarritz.
SPEAKER: Joanna Cherry,
JOANNA CHERRY, SCOTTISH NATIONAL PARTY MP: Mr. Speaker, it's good to hear the Prime Minister say he will uphold the constitution and the rule of law.
Because of course, it is essential that the United Kingdom upholds rule of law for effective working with the G-7 in the future. So will he give this
House his word that he and his government will respect legislation passed by this House and decisions made by two legal jurisdictions in this union,
the jurisdictions in Scotland and jurisdictions of England.
JOHNSON: I refer to the honorable John Whittingdale.
SPEAKER: John Whittingdale:
JOHN WHITTINGDALE, BRITISH CONSERVATIVE MP: Will my right honorable friend confirm his determination to keep up the pressure on Russia which continues
to illegally occupy Crimea and whose involvement in the occupied territories in east Ukraine led to further deaths this weekend. Can I
therefore strongly welcome his statement to the dispatch box just now, that he agrees it is not appropriate for Russia to rejoin the G-7, and will he
continue to give every support to newly elected President Zelensky and the members of the Ukrainian Parliament.
JOHNSON: And I know the great interest that my right honorable friend has taken in Ukraine in the fortunes of that wonderful country. And I can
assure him that President Zelensky around me before the G-7 particularly to insist on his continued concerns about the Russian activities and I'm sure
that those concerns are shared across this House.
SPEAKER: Yvette Cooper.
YVETTE COOPER, BRITISH LABOUR PARTY MP: Mr. Prime Minister and the former chancellor of the Exchequer, he referred only to the rough shape of an
alternative deal. Can he tell us whether he has any detailed proposals and can he confirm that he has not sent any detailed proposals to the EU?
JOHNSON: We have been in extensive talks, but as the right honorable lady will appreciate, it doesn't make sense to negotiate in public. But it's
been clear from what I have said already, that the back stop is unacceptable, and so is the Political Declaration as currently written.
And we have detailed proposals of how to address both issues and we're making progress.
[11:25:00]
And I say respectfully to friends on all sides of the House that now is the time to allow U.K. negotiators to get on with their job.
SPEAKER: Mr. Edward Leigh
EDWARD LEIGH, BRITISH CONSERVATIVE MP: In these discussions with the German Chancellor and the French President, was there discussion around the
need for compromise? After all, this issue of the back stop, is resolvable with compromise on all sides. And there are many people in this House,
more Brexiteers and Remainers that want to compromise. And when it comes to solution, if the EU won't change the deal, and if this House won't pass
the present deal, could I ask the Prime Minister to reflect on the Vienna Convention and the conditional unilateral declaration which would allow us
to unilaterally state our determination to exit from the back stop.
JOHNSON: I am grateful to my right honorable friend. And he has pursued this line of thinking for many months now. I must say that actually I
think there is a better and more elegant way of doing this. We can excise the offending bits of the treaty. We can make a great deal of progress.
We can have a new treaty. It'll be a vast improvement. And I think that members opposite should look forward to it and should be encouraging but
supportive of the efforts of this government in getting us out of the EU the way they voted for time and time and time again.
SPEAKER: Liz Saville Roberts.
LIZ SAVILLE ROBERTS, BRITISH PLAID CYMRU MP: The Prime Minister insists the U.K. will be ready for no-deal, while at the same time duplicity using
threat to force the European Union to cave into his nonexistent alternative arrangement. Will the Prime Minister admit that no-deal scenario would be
catastrophic or will he continue to face both ways, deceive the public and use no-deal for his own electoral gain.
JOHNSON: I am afraid I don't agree with what she said about a no-deal. As I said on the steps of Downing Street, I think there will be bumps on the
road, but this is a very great country and very great economy and we will get it done. And I'm afraid the most fatal thing to getting a deal is for
this country to show it is so apprehensive about coming out on other terms as to accept anything that the EU prescribes. And that is what I'm afraid
the course down which the right honorable gentleman opposite is beckoning us to go. I think that would be a disaster.
SPEAKER: Harriett Baldwin.
HARRIETT BALDWIN, BRITISH CONSERVATIVE MP: Thank you Mr. SPEAKER. Can I warmly welcome the announcement that the Prime Minister made at the G-7 to
give more money to education, cannot wait. And the leadership that he has consistently shown on the importance of girls' education around the world.
And can he commit to continuing to champion this cause and to seek that more budget be spent on global education.
JOHNSON: I think the right honorable friend for everything she has done both in the development fund and in the FCO to champion female education
around the world. I do believe that 12 years of quality education is the single most effective policy for solving most of the ills of the world.
SPEAKER: Stephen Doughty.
STEPHEN DOUGHTY, BRITISH LABOUR MP: Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister just made a number of wild and unsubstantiated claims about the negotiations.
Can I asked him directly, did the UK's chief Brexit negotiator, Frost, in a Tuesday 27 of August to the EU subcommittee meeting, leak the rationale for
talks with the EU task force to and I quote, domestic political handling reasons, yes or no.
JOHNSON: I don't comment on leaks, Mr. Speaker. In addition to that, even if I did, I've got no idea, quite frankly. I think it's highly unlikely.
SPEAKER: David Gauke.
DAVID GAUKE, BRITISH CONSERVATIVE MP: Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister will be aware that many of us are concerned that we are on course to leaving
European Union without a deal on the 31st October, that we won't have time to negotiate or legislate for a new deal. Those concerns were not allayed
by reports in the "Daily Telegraph" this morning that suggested that --
MAX FOSTER, CNN HOST: So a debate in Parliament and fireworks certainly. The headline actually was meant to be Boris Johnson, followed by Jeremy
Corbyn. But instead, we had a defection from Boris Johnson's side. One Conservative MP, actually during a speech with then sat with the Liberal
Democrats defecting from the party. Significant because Boris Johnson only had majority of one. But now he doesn't have a majority at all.
[11:30:00] A lot of the analysis are suggesting that makes an election even more likely to be called in the coming days if not today.
In the letter from Philip Lee to the Prime Minister, he said sadly the Brexit process is up to transform this once great party -- Conservative
Party -- to something more akin to a narrow faction where and individual's conservatism is measured by how recklessly one wishes to leave the European
Union. Perhaps most disappointingly it has increasingly become infected with a twin diseases of populism and English nationalism -- Bianca.
BIANCA NOBILO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's definitely the most damaging of the critiques which he made in that letter. He did speak of how the
Conservative Party when he joined 27 years ago, I think was a broad church. And now, as you mention, something akin to narrow faction. You referenced
that even this morning when you spoke about the threat of these elections that we've all been speaking about and whether or not Boris Johnson is only
surrounding himself with people who subscribe to his very narrow opinion to what needs to happen with Brexit. It's obviously a symbolic blow. There
is really very little else an MP can do, which is more significant than either crossing the floor -- which is what Philip Lee has done. So he's
gone he's gone to sit on opposite benches with the opposition party.
FOSTER: During the speech.
NOBILO: During the speech, and potentially voting down your own government. Those are the biggest things you can do as a member of
Parliament. Even if you look at how the chamber is built, so both benches that are two sawed lengths apart. Apart so that people couldn't engage in
a duel. So it's this antagonistic set up. They are the opposition to change of sides after a quarter of a century is a massive decision. And it
couldn't come at a more symbolic time.
FOSTER: Meanwhile, this motion has been placed which puts Boris Johnson in uncomfortable position. How would you define the motion that's been
presented to Parliament today?
CAROLE WALKER, POLITICAL ANALYST: Well clearly, it looks as though there has been no wavering at all amongst MPs across all parties who want to try
to prevent Boris Johnson leaving the EU without a deal. They are going to force a vote this evening to seize control of what happens in Parliament
tomorrow. We've now seen the full details of the bill and the motion that they want to get through. It's all timed so that you have an initial vote
at 3:00 tomorrow afternoon. By 7:00, the bill is due to have passed all it stages in Commons.
FOSTER: So then it can all happen? So it then has to go through the Lords, but it could all happen this week?
WALKER: Well furthermore, they put in place this stipulation that the House can't rise -- the prorogation can't happen until the bill --
FOSTER: Until it's passed.
WALKER: -- the bill gets -- not just that but gets royal ascent. So they have drafted it very, very tightly indeed to try to ensure that if they get
the vote tonight, and most people both sides of the argument seem to think that they're going to defeat the government later tonight, then they have
got the whole plan in place as tightly as possible to try to legislate for a no-deal Brexit, despite everything that Boris Johnson has been repeating
this afternoon.
FOSTER: So all the briefing is that if that happens, Boris Johnson will come to the podium in Downing Street and announce that there will be
election. What's the thinking behind that?
NOBILO: Well because he has no other options left. The problem all along has been parliamentary arithmetic. The fact that Theresa May didn't have
the numbers. As you know, not even parliamentary arithmetic, parliamentary discipline. That is really the story of all this. From the defections to
members of Parliament threatening not to vote with the government. Boris Johnson did have a majority of one before Philip Lee crossed over to the
Lib Dems.
But in actual fact, we know that a number those members of Parliament would not have supported some of his flagship legislation. So it's not really a
majority. And even under the premiership of Theresa May, we had so many members of Parliament resigning, just not voting with the government. This
is not ordinary practice, especially when you have a hung Parliament or a minority government that are only supported by the DUP, that's the reason
that they're still in power now. And it just doesn't work. That is not how this democracy is built.
FOSTER: So the thinking subsequent to this, is that Labour may not agree to an election tomorrow. But this defection seems to have a lot of the
Labour MPs on social media suggesting actually without majority, we probably do need to back an election. Is that likely?
WALKER: It is a very, very difficult decision for the Labour Party. Jeremy Corbyn has been saying for weeks, for months, we need a general
election to sort this out. It's time we had a general election so that Labour can have a chance at taking power and pursuing a very different
course of action. The challenge now is what they do. What Labour are worried about is if they agree to an election that Boris Johnson will say
it's going to be on the 14th of October but will have the power to change the date so that we get to October the 31st.
[11:35:00]
The default position is that the U.K. leaves the EU, and if the election date is pushed beyond that, then there will be nothing anyone can do to
stop it happening. So it's a big dilemma for the Labor Party. But if they duck a general election now, I think that will also have serious
repercussions for the Labour Party.
FOSTER: Our Nic Robertson's in Downing Street. You are expecting presumably some statements from Downing Street later on today on their
response to this. Because they can't have this bill go through effectively, can they. This doesn't work for them.
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: It doesn't. And Boris Johnson's made that abundantly clear, and clearly been challenged from
within his own party and from across the benches. But most notably I think really -- I say notably from Philip Hammond, the former chancellor of the
Exchequer, and one of the leaders and one of the biggest names in the Tory rebels at the moment.
You know, pressing the Prime Minister who laid out what he had said were the steps and the progress that he's made in his negotiations for leaving
the European Union. And Philip Hammond as did Hilary Benn from the Labour Party as did others, pressed the Prime Minister to say, well, have you put
forward proposals. Because for example, Angela Merkel has not seen any. And we heard the same about the French President Emmanuel Macron, not
having seen any serious proposals yet. And we had somebody else raise the case of the Irish foreign minister as well. Saying -- he's also the Deputy
Prime Minister in Ireland, saying that he hasn't seen serious proposals so far.
So Boris Johnson there was very clearly challenged strongly. If you are saying you have progress, show us that progress, tell us that you've made
proposals. Tell us what those proposals are. He said he didn't want to negotiate in public. And I think these will be measures as it does seem we
are heading towards this situation of an election and how people are going to be judging Boris Johnson and judging him as well on when he was
challenged. Well are you going to abide by the law if this law is passed. Will you respect the law, will you abide by it. He said I will uphold the
constitution.
So I think perhaps when we hear from Downing Street later, we will get some clarifications perhaps on these which have been sort of two of the bigger
issues that have come through today in this debate. Come through which have sort of shown the Prime Minister to be less than transparent. Maybe
we'll get some additional clarity.
FOSTER: OK, Nic at Downing Street, thank you. We'll get to Nina in Brussels as well. They can't really make any official statements, because
there hasn't been any official move in position just yet for the U.K. government. But will they be watching this to see how Boris Johnson is
interacting with Parliament?
NINA DOS SANTOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You can bet they'll be watching every word of it in the building behind me, the European Commission, which is the
executive arm of the European Union. This is the institution that drafts all of those laws that Boris Johnson when he was a Brussels based reporter
many years ago took issue with, and one that he has also taken aim at in this early days of this premiership here that has only lasted about a
month.
They'll be watching everything. As yet, Max, they have been conspicuously quiet on social media. Often, we see the chief negotiator for the European
Commission, Michel Barnier, take to Twitter in coordinated response with the likes of the ahead of the President of the European Council just across
the street, Donald Tusk. Both of these two figures quiet.
But earlier today we did get a briefing from the two spokeswomen of the European Commission, and she said that as far as the EU is concerned this
is a fluid situation, the position from the EU side hasn't changed. That's mainly that the door remains open, that the U.K. has to come back through
the door with concrete proposals here. The Withdrawal Agreement negotiated by Theresa May is not up for wholesale re-negotiation, neither is the Irish
back stop.
Now the U.K. teams will still continue their twice weekly meetings with the EU. But the real question here that many journalists had in the briefing
room in that building behind me, was largely how serious are those negotiations. How much many new ideas is Boris Johnson putting on the
table.
I just want to point out something else as well. The EU now saying that a no-deal scenario is a distinct possibility and throughout course of this
week, Max, we're going to be talking about potentially unleashing emergency funds to mitigate aftereffects of no-deal Brexit for the 27 remaining
states inside the EU. Back to you.
KINKADE: OK, Nina, thank you very much indeed. The breaking news this hour then, the British government has lost its working majority within
Parliament, because a MP has defected. Also a motion for an emergency debate has been tabled to the Common Speaker which aims to delay Brexit and
block a no-deal Brexit. We'll break it down more for you after the break.
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[11:40:00]
FOSTER: Welcome back to Parliament in London, a noisy place, because the demonstrators on both sides are out in force. Pro-Brexit, anti-Brexit and
there's a big debate going on inside where the Prime Minister's been speaking. Our next guest says he wasn't, quote, chiseled from birth to be
a MP or Prime Minister, but he is giving Prime Minister Johnson a run for his money. Ali Milani is Labour's parliamentary candidate in Uxbridge in
South Ruislip -- which is Mr. Johnson's own constituency -- joins me now live. So if Boris Johnson calls an election, you'll be up against him.
What will you be campaigning on?
ALI MILANI, LABOUR CANDIDATE FOR UXBRIDGE IN SOUTH RUISLIP: Well I mean, look, so there's two things that are very, very clear for us. And that is
that Boris Johnson is going to walk into an election with the smallest majority of a Prime Minister since 1924. So we're very, very focused on
making sure that we deliver for our communities. But also having a campaign that actually sends a message to the building behind me that we
are looking for a new wave of politics. It's clear that the chaos the country is in, that the political class mostly has failed in this country.
So what my candidacy is to say not only will we win the election for the communities, not only send a message to Westminster, but we'll be the first
ones to unseat a Prime Minister in British democracy.
FOSTER: What you say to the argument that a lot of Remainers are so fed up with the process they just want it to end. And actually they ended up as
hard Brexiters themselves, because they just want a solution. And Boris Johnson is offering them that, whereas you're just offering them more
delay.
MILANI: I mean look, I think you're right to say that the country has actually is looking for any sort of solution in terms of we've been talking
about this three years, little else being done in this country because of the Brexit process. But we can't because of that fatigue with Brexit walk
into what will be a catastrophic no-deal Brexit. This morning alone, I was watching doctors and a doctor who contributed to yellow hammer. Alleging
that this government is stockpiling --
FOSTER: The secret plan or scenario planning.
MILANI: Yes. And that's not even the worst-case scenario. And so this Doctor is talking to us about stockpiling medicine, stockpiling body bags
and mortality rates. And so I think the thing we have to do, and I think the thing that Jeremy has been clear on and That Labour has been clear on,
is that we have to be sure that we do the best for this country.
Ali Milani, you may have a busy few weeks coming up. The election is called later tonight. That's the speculation here. We'll bring you every
twist and turn from Westminster as it unfolds in the coming hours and days.
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[11:45:00]
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