THE SNP have accused the UK Government of “going rogue” after Michael Gove yesterday refused to rule out disregarding any legislation passed by MPs to block a No-Deal Brexit.
Gove – the minister in charge of No-Deal planning – was quizzed on the issue on the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show.
Asked repeatedly by Marr about the matter, the Brexiteer said: “Let’s see what the legislation says.
“You’re asking me about a pig in a poke. And I will wait to see what legislation the opposition may try to bring forward.”
He added: “For me, the most important thing is to bear in mind actually, we already have legislation in place which an overwhelming majority of MPs voted for.
“We already have an EU Withdrawal Act, we already have the notice on Article 50, the process by which we leave the EU.”
Reacting to the interview senior SNP MP Pete Wishart, said: “The Tories are jumping up the dictatorial scale at an alarming rate, bounding from plans to suspend Parliament and now refusing to say if they will abide by the law. It is clear that this government’s gone rogue.”
He continued: “How anyone can have a shred of confidence in this hapless boorach is utterly astounding – no-one is above the law, and for Boris Johnson’s government to act like they are is genuinely terrifying for our democracy.
“The Tories need to wake up to the awful reality in front of them.
“A No-Deal Brexit would cause untold damage, with analysis showing a threat to 100,000 Scottish jobs and costing every person in Scotland an incredible £2300 per year.
“Scotland did not vote for Brexit, and no-one voted for this authoritarian madness from Westminster. It’s clearer than ever that Scotland needs a choice to decide its future; as part of a lawless, insular Brexit Britain, or as an outward-looking independent nation.”
Shadow Brexit secretary Sir Keir Starmer said Mr Gove’s stance was “breathtaking”.
He tweeted: “For ministers not to confirm that this Government will accept and comply with legislation lawfully passed is breathtaking.
The Prime Minister must make a statement on this straightaway.
No Government is above the law.”
READ MORE: SNP urge MPs to unite in bid to halt No Deal
Urgent cross-party efforts to prevent the UK crashing from the EU without an agreement will begin tomorrow as MPs return from their summer recess.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said the UK will leave the bloc on October 31 regardless of whether or not any deal is made.
Critics have warned that could cause major damage to the economy and MPs opposed to a No-Deal exit are expected to seek a delay to the leaving date to give more time for negotiations.
Gove’s comment came after Johnson’s move to prorogue Parliament earned him accusations of behaving like a dictator.
According to an unnamed government source, Johnson was meeting Tory whips yesterday to discuss tactics for the coming week.
But as the Tory frontbench worked to prepare itself, former minister Guto Bebb called Gove’s comments “a disgrace to our democracy”.
Further attacking the Government, the Welsh Tory MP added: “Not only are they suspending Parliament to try to force through a disastrous No-Deal, but now they are suggesting that even if Parliament passed a law requiring the Government to avoid No Deal, they might simply ignore it.
“Our very democracy is now under threat from Boris Johnson and his government.”
And Jon Trickett, Labour’s shadow minister for the Cabinet Office, said any move to ignore an act of Parliament “would be a full-blown attack on our constitution”.
Despite all this, the unnamed government source said that Johnson plans to stand firm on his Halloween deadline: “The PM has made clear he will deliver Brexit on October 31 come what may and in all circumstances.”
The source added: “We are not commenting on hypothetical legislative outcomes.”
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