MPs have given Boris Johnson a brutal preview of the scale of the challenge facing his premiership, as Conservative rebels voted to block any attempt to suspend parliament in order to force through a no-deal Brexit. Hammond, who will end three years as chancellor next week, warned the next prime minister that he would be at the forefront of Conservative MPs opposing a no-deal Brexit. The chancellor thinks that despite change at No 10, opposition in parliament means there is no more chance of a no-deal Brexit than there was before Theresa May announced she was stepping down. Should Johnson win the Tory leadership contest and become prime minister, ministers are likely to pre-emptively walk out, forming an instant and influential Conservative bloc opposing no-deal Brexit – one towards which other Tories, perhaps even May, might gravitate. The Office for Budget Responsibility said the result would be a year-long downturn that would increase borrowing by £30bn a year, prompting a fresh warning from Hammond to MPs backing no-deal Brexit.

Source: The Guardian July 18, 2019 19:08 UTC