PM 'will seek Brexit extension if no deal agreed by 19 October' – Sky News, Sky.com

             

Boris Johnson will seek a Brexit extension from the EU if no withdrawal deal is reached by 19 October, government documents say.

The revelation in a Scottish court appears to be a direct contradiction of what the prime minister has said in public.

To date he has insisted that the UK would leave “do or die” by the 31 October deadline, with or without an agreement in place.

This is despite backbench legislation – known as the Benn Act – committing him to request an extension to if a deal is not secured following the European Council meeting in less than two weeks’ time.

Amid legal moves at Scotland’s highest court, aimed at ensuring the PM would seek an extension if no deal is secured by 19 October, documents were read out that accepted Mr Johnson accepted he must send a letter requesting a Brexit delay.

 

However, in response to Sky News’ breaking news, Steve Baker, the chairman of the European Research Group of hardline Tory Brexiteers, echoed the existing line that “the government will obey the law”.

He wrote in a tweet: “A source confirms all this means is that Government will obey the law.

“It does not mean we will extend. It does not mean we will stay in the EU beyond Oct 31. We will leave. “

Jolyon Maugham QC told Sky News:” What we learned today is that the prime minister has promised the court, in his own name, that he will ask for an extension under the Benn Act if the conditions are satisfied, in other words if parliament has not before 19 October agreed a withdrawal agreement.

“He’s also promised the court that he will not frustrate the Benn Act by which is meant that he will not send two letters, one saying can I have an extension, the other saying please don’t give me one, he won’t collude with foreign governments to attempt to persuade those foreign governments to veto an extension.

“Those are statements that he’s made to the court. The court has said that in those circumstances its contempt jurisdiction might be engaged.

” And so what the hearing is now about is whether we can push the court to clearly engage its contempt jurisdiction.

“Then on Tuesday we now know we will have a full hearing before the Inner House of the Court of Session in which the Inner House will consider whether or not if the prime minister refuses to do what he has today told the court he will do the court can sign the letter for the Prime Minister, the letter mandated by the Benn Act. “

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