Comments by leading Tory rebel, David Gauke
- Says government strategy is to lose this week and call a general election
- Says government is not properly engaging with negotiations with Brussels
- There won't be time to get through all the parliamentary stages now
He's also feeling outraged by Boris Johnson's threats to deselect Tory lawmakers if they choose to vote against the government this week. As mentioned earlier, that risks Johnson's working majority and in a way could be pushing the Tories towards working with Farage's Brexit Party if an election is called.
The general view is that if nothing can be achieved by lawmakers this week, there will be nothing to stop Johnson from pursuing a no-deal by 31 October. At this stage, a no-confidence motion will surely be a measure last resort if legislative measures hit a snag.
