Lib Dem Brexit Spokesperson: No General Election Until No Deal Ruled Out

26 October 2019, 18:35

Tom Brake MP, the Liberal Democrat's Brexit Spokesperson, told Clive Bull that he does not want a general election until a no-deal Brexit is definitively ruled out.

Tom Brake said: "In terms of a general election, I don't want a general election to take place until we have ruled out No Deal.

"And until we have passed a statutory instrument in the House of Commons that says Parliament has accepted the extension that may or may not be offered. I think it probably will be offered by the European Union.

"Until that has happened, the Prime Minister could still, if he wanted to, try to crash us out of the European Union. Once that has happened, then let's see what happens.

"I think then the probability of a general election increases because of course, at that point, Jeremy Corbyn, for instance, has said he would back it back a general election."

Clive Bull said: "It's just very difficult to know exactly what that means ruling out No Deal. Is it specifically just the EU offers an extension or would you still want more after that?"

Brake replied: "Well, in an ideal world, we want to see a People's Vote as being the means, you know, the route by which this issue can be resolved once and for all.

"That is quite a difficult thing to push for because it requires a wide array, a sort of rainbow alliance of parties, to achieve it.

"I think it is still possible but it's challenging because that agreement would have to be in place for sort of four or five months to actually deliver that.

"So that is what we're pushing for but, I mean, we may be overtaken by events, particularly if Jeremy Corbyn agrees to a general election.

"Although, of course, that's something which I suspect, probably 3/4 of his own MPs don't actually want to happen at present."