Number 10 rejects MPs’ demands to recall Parliament over no-deal Brexit fears
2 min read
Number 10 has rejected MPs’ demands to recall Parliament over growing concerns about the impact of a no-deal Brexit.
Downing Street dismissed the plea to cut short parliament’s summer recess as Jeremy Corbyn threw his weight behind the bid to block a no-deal Brexit.
Over 100 MPs had written to the Prime Minister asking for Parliament to be recalled ahead of the scheduled 3 September date as they accused him of dodging scrutiny and warned the country stood on “the brink of an economic crisis”.
But a Downing Street spokesperson shrugged off the demand, saying the current recess timeline had already been approved by MPs.
“I’d just like to point out that the House of Commons agreed the date it would rise for summer recess, as well as its return on September 3, and this was passed by a majority close to 200 MPs," they said.
Signed by members of every political party in the House of Commons excluding the DUP, the letter said reconvening parliament was crucial to allow “scrutiny” of the government’s no-deal preparations.
And the plans received a boost on Monday after Jeremy Corbyn said his party would support the bid following the publication of a leaked Whitehall dossier which forecast food and medicine shortages in the event of a no-deal Brexit.
“I think there is support for preventing this country going into a no-deal Brexit as the response to the Yellowhammer document that was leaked yesterday indicates,” he said.
“We do support the recall of Parliament in order to prevent the Prime Minister having some kind of manoeuvre to take us out on 31 October without any further discussion in Parliament.”
But Number 10 said the growing likelihood of a no-deal Brexit did not warrant MPs returning early to the Commons.
“I just say that people gave their instruction to Parliament in the EU referendum, and Parliament then voted to trigger to Article 50, It also passed the Withdrawal Act," they said.
"The Prime Minister was clear that we’re leaving on October 31, and that is what the Government is focused on.”
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