Tory MP Guto Bebb drops strongest hit yet he will vote to bring down Boris Johnson's government
3 min read
Tory former minister Guto Bebb has dropped his strongest hint yet he would back a motion of no confidence against Boris Johnson.
The Welsh MP vowed to do "anything that is necessary" to stop a no-deal Brexit, even if it meant voting with Jeremy Corbyn to torpedo his own government.
Mr Bebb announced last month he would be stepping down from Parliament ahead of the next general election after previously resigning as a defence minister to back a second EU referendum.
His comments will be a major boost for the Labour leader after he called for anti-Brexit MPs to back him as leader of a "time-limited" government that would extend Article 50 and trigger a fresh general election.
Fellow Tory rebels Dominic Grieve and Oliver Letwin have already agreed to meet with Mr Corbyn to discuss their "common priority" to prevent a no-deal.
But speaking at the launch of a new report from anti-Brexit group, Farmers for a People Vote, Mr Bebb said he had already "sacrificed his political career" in order to protect Welsh farmers from being "thrown to the wolves" over Brexit.
Asked to give a definitive answer on how he would vote in a no confidence motion, he said: "I don't answer yes or no questions, but I was also asked this questions on Radio 5 Live this morning and I think the reality is, I think there are other options available for us.
"But I have been very clear, and I have been very clear for months that I will do anything that is necessary to stop a no-deal Brexit."
Meanwhile, Mr Bebb urged ministers to listen to agriculture groups after the new study found 50% of British farms could be put out of business by the mid-2020s if the UK leaves the EU without a deal.
Written by former NFU Chief Economist Dr Sean Rickard, the report said the introduction of new tariffs and non-tariff barriers combined with a government pledge to lower tariffs on third country imports would create "utter trading madness" for British farmers.
"Many industries will suffer but the industry that would suffer the most serious economic shock will be agriculture. It is impossible to project the exact numbers of farmers who will go out of business," Dr Rickard said.
"What we do know is that over 40% of them will have no net income if the basic payment is removed."
He added: "If at the same time the Government removes tariffs and so depresses prices, these two factors combined will render over 50% of farms in this country unviable.
"The possibility of any compensation from the government going anywhere near offsetting this is remote because so many promises have been made to so many other sectors and not all can be fulfilled."
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