BORIS Johnson challenged Labour and the SNP to turf him out of No 10, promising them a vote of no confidence in his administration if they asked for it.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon accused the Prime Minister of being “untrustworthy” and “craven”, with “not a shred of concern for the consequences of his words or actions”.
It was a dramatic night in the House of Commons, which resumed yesterday after Tuesday’s damning Supreme Court ruling declared Parliament’s prorogation unlawful and therefore “null and void”.
The Prime Minister infuriated the opposition after he appeared to dismiss a Labour MP’s claims of death threats and abuse as “humbug”.
In his statement, Johnson said if Labour did not have “confidence in the Government, they have a chance to prove it”. He added: “They have until the House rises today to table a motion of no confidence in the Government, and we can have that vote tomorrow.
“Or if any of the small parties fancy a go, table the motion, we’ll give you time for that vote. Will they have the courage to act or will they refuse to take responsibility yet again and do nothing but delay?”
Labour, the SNP, the LibDems and Plaid Cymru all rejected the offer.
In his response Corbyn said that Johnson should have resigned as Prime Minister, adding: “Yet here he is forced back to this House to face the scrutiny he tried to avoid without a shred of humility.”
Ian Blackford, the SNP’s Westminster leader, asked Johnson if he had any shame.
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He added: “The Prime Minister’s position is no longer tenable, his failure to resign is an embarrassment.”
“We have reached a difficult and dangerous point, not just in relation to the Brexit crisis but for the constitutional future of these islands and indeed the future of our democracy.”
In a statement released later, Blackford said the SNP would vote for an election as soon as they were “confident the threat of a devastating No-Deal Brexit is off the table.”
He added: “If Johnson will not resign then opposition parties must work together to remove the Tories from office through a General Election as quickly as possible.
“We are not powerless and doing nothing is not an option. This is a time for leadership.” In a tweet the First Minister called on Johnson to “stop his shameful game-playing”. She added: “If he requests an extension and removes risk of No Deal on 31 October, @theSNP will vote for an election.
“The ball’s in his court. But he must think we button up the back if he believes we’ll let him force through a No-Deal Brexit.”
Sturgeon later tweeted: “I feel disgust watching Johnson. Untrustworthy, craven, not a shred of concern for the consequences of his words or actions.
“Unfit for office in every sense. The opposition do need to unite on a proper plan to get rid of him. But he mustn’t be allowed to bully his way to No Deal.”
I feel disgust watching Johnson. Untrustworthy, craven, not a shred of concern for the consequences of his words or actions. Unfit for office in every sense. The opposition do need to unite on a proper plan to get rid of him. But he mustn’t be allowed to bully his way to no deal. https://t.co/VMjwKrwEwe
— Nicola Sturgeon (@NicolaSturgeon) September 25, 2019
In his exchange with MPs, Johnson repeatedly described legislation designed to block the Government from forcing through a No-Deal Brexit on October 31 as a surrender act.
MP after MP after MP stood up, ad urging the Prime Minister to modify his language.
Labour’s Paula Sherriff said Johnson was used pejorative language to describe an act of parliament passed by the House. She asked him to remember the murder of Jo Cox, killed by a far-right Brexit supporter.
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“And I’m sure you would agree that we should not resort to using offensive, dangerous or inflammatory language for legislation that we do not like,” she added. “Many of us in this place are subject to death threats and abuse every single day.
“And let me tell the Prime Minister they often quote his words, the surrender act, betrayal, traitor and I for one am sick of it. We must moderate our language and it has to come from the Prime Minister first.”
Johnson described Sherriff’s claims as “humbug”. He later said the best way to “honour the memory of Jo Cox” would be “to get Brexit done.”
Downing Street said that if the opposition parties did not take up the Prime Minister’s offer to table a no-confidence motion, the Government would take it as a mandate to press on with Brexit.
“They have an opportunity tomorrow, should they take it, to have a confidence vote,” the Prime Minister’s official spokesman said.
“If not then it will be taken as confidence in the Government and the Government will hopefully be allowed to get on with implementing its strategy and delivering Brexit on October 31.”
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