HUMILIATED Scots Tory chief Ruth Davidson has insisted she won’t back a no-deal Brexit even though Boris Johnson’s government is now “operating on the assumption” it will crash out of Europe with no deal on Halloween.
Reports yesterday suggested the new Prime Minister has put together a “war cabinet” of six key ministers to get to deliver Brexit by October 31 “by any means necessary”.
Yesterday, Michael Gove, who has been charged with overseeing preparations for a no-deal Brexit, declared that the Government had “a new clarity of mission”.
“We will exit the EU on October 31. No ifs. No buts. No more delay. Brexit is happening,” he said.
Gove added: “The EU’s leaders have, so far, said they will not change their approach – it’s the unreformed Withdrawal Agreement, take it or leave it,” he added.
“We still hope they will change their minds, but we must operate on the assumption that they will not.”
Planning for no deal was now a “number one priority”, he said.
READ MORE: SNP hammer Johnson over ‘recycled and underfunded’ cash pledge for Scotland
The SNP’s Stephen Gethins said it was impossible to support Johnson but oppose a no-deal Brexit. He called on Davidson to resign.
Stephen Gethings urged the Scottish Conservative leader to quit
It’s been a difficult week for the Tory party’s high heidyin in Scotland, her authority has been shattered by the election of Johnson.
READ MORE: Ruth Davidson told to 'find a backbone' after rolling over for Boris Johnson
Her very public plea to the Prime Minister to keep David Mundell in post as Secretary of State for Scotland was ignored, with Johnson replacing the veteran MP with rookie Alister Jack.
Of the two junior ministers in the Scotland Office, just one went to one the party’s 12 other Scottish MPs, Colin Clark. The other went to Robin Walker, the MP for Worcester.
Johnson has said that all ministers in his government must be committed to leaving the EU on October 31, deal or no deal.
Writing in the Mail on Sunday, Davidson insisted her position in the Scottish Parliament was independent of Westminster and that she did not have to sign the so-called no-deal pledge.
Davidson said: “I hope beyond measure that the new Prime Minister is successful in getting an agreement with the EU so that he can go back to the House of Commons and get the majority backing he needs. He has my full support in those efforts.
“Where I differ with the UK Government is on the question of a no-deal Brexit.
She continued: “When I was debating against the pro-Brexit side in 2016, I don’t remember anybody saying we should crash out of the EU with no arrangements in place to help maintain the vital trade that flows uninterrupted between Britain and the European Union.
“I don’t think the UK Government should pursue a no-deal Brexit, and if it comes to it, I won’t support it.
“I wrote to tell the former prime minister Theresa May that last year and I confirmed my position to her successor when I spoke to him last week.
“As leader of the party in Scotland, my position exists independently of government. I don’t have to sign a no-deal pledge to continue to serve.”
The SNP’s Stephen Gethins said: “She says she will support Mr Johnson but not a no-deal Brexit – but the fact is you can’t do both. Her position is untenable and weak.
Meanwhile, Chancellor Sajid Javid has said there will be “significant extra funding” announced this week to get Britain “fully ready to leave” the EU on October 31.
The additional spending will include financing one of the country’s “biggest ever public information campaigns” Javid told the Sunday Telegraph.
“Under my leadership, the Treasury will have new priorities and will play its full role in helping to deliver Brexit,” he said.
Scottish Brexit Secretary Michael Russell was sceptical: “The reality is the UK is not, and cannot be, ready for a no-deal EU exit on October 31 – such an outcome would inevitably cause very significant disruption to the lives of ordinary citizens as well as to businesses and long-term harm to our economy.”
He said the Government in Edinburgh would push ministers in London to take no deal off the table, but, at the same time, would “continue to do everything we can to prepare, though it will not be possible to mitigate all the impacts of leaving the EU without a deal”.
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