“Jeremy Corbyn will go to Buckingham Palace in a taxi to tell the Queen “we’re taking over” if Boris Johnson loses a vote of no confidence, John McDonnell has said. The shadow chancellor said Labour was preparing to bring down Mr Johnson’s government next month and form a “caretaker government” with cross-party support whose mission would be to block a no-deal Brexit. The Times revealed this week that Mr Johnson might refuse to resign if he lost a confidence vote and instead wait two weeks for a general election to be triggered. Mr McDonnell yesterday criticised Dominic Cummings, the prime minister’s most senior aide, who raised the idea in Downing Street.” – The Times
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“Liberal Democrats have scotched the idea of installing Jeremy Corbyn in Downing Street to avoid a no-deal Brexit, thereby thwarting the Labour party leadership’s hopes of forming a caretaker government this autumn. Boris Johnson is expected to face a no-confidence vote in his government soon after the UK parliament returns from its summer recess early in September. If the Conservatives fail to maintain the confidence of MPs, Labour has said it will attempt to form an alternative government. But without support from the 13 Lib Dem MPs, it will be unable to form a majority. “I can’t conceive of any circumstances under which we would put Jeremy Corbyn into No. 10,” said one senior Lib Dem MP.” – FT
>Today: ToryDiary: A Government of national unity is a non-starter – even if its seven prospective leaders take one day of the week each
“Remainer MPs are drawing up plans to cancel the Autumn recess in order to give themselves more time to find a way of stopping Boris Johnson delivering a no-deal Brexit, it has emerged. In a last-ditch attempt to stop the UK leaving the European Union without a deal on October 31, a group of rebels are exploring proposals to force MPs to sit through the party conference season. They hope to amend a parliamentary motion which gives MPs a three-week period to attend their annual party conferences, which run from late October through to mid-September. According to the Guardian, the MPs intend to use the additional time to seize control of Parliamentary business and force through a backbench bill compelling the Government to request another extension of Article 50.” – Daily Telegraph
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>Today: Geoffrey van Orden MEP in Comment: Why Conservative MEPs voted for von der Leyen, an advocate of an EU army, for Commission President
“Boris Johnson’s most senior adviser has suggested in his first public comments since being appointed that Dominic Grieve, the Tory rebel, will be unable to stop a no-deal Brexit. Dominic Cummings denied claims by Mr Grieve, a former attorney- general, that he was “arrogant” as he insisted that politicians did not “get to choose which votes they respect”. Mr Cummings had told colleagues that Mr Johnson would not resign even if he lost a vote of confidence and would instead push for a general election… Mr Grieve told The Times that the Queen could be left with no choice but to sack Mr Johnson.” – The Times
“So when the moment comes – probably in mid-September – that the Queen is presented by the Commons and Lords with a bill that bans a no-deal Brexit, Mr Johnson should emulate the ministers who advised Queen Anne not to sign the Scottish Militia Bill on 11 March 1708. On that occasion, her veto was recorded in the statute book with the words “La Reine se avisera” (The Queen will consider it). It is highly unlikely that Elizabeth II will depart from the most important of the provisions in our unwritten constitution, that the monarch acts upon the advice of her ministers. Every member of today’s Cabinet is now committed to a no-deal Brexit if necessary.” – Daily Telegraph
>Yesterday: ToryDiary: Osborne – Brexit’s saviour?
“President Donald Trump has indicated a “huge appetite” for signing a free trade deal with Britain once it has left the EU, Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab has said. In his first visit to the US since taking office last month, Mr Raab had a “preliminary chat” with the US President on Tuesday after an impromptu introduction by his son-in-law Jared Kushner. A Downing Street source told the Daily Telegraph the former Tory leadership contender was only supposed to meet with Vice President Mike Pence, when he was ushered into the Oval Office. Mr Raab said Mr Trump had been “effusive in his warmth” towards Britain and had expressed his “high regard” for Boris Johnson as Prime Minister.” – Daily Telegraph
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>Yesterday: Dominic Walshe in Comment: What would No Deal mean for trade beyond the EU?
“The government has announced its third successive hand-out to the NHS in as many days with a pledge by Boris Johnson of £250m to be invested in artificial intelligence. The prime minister claimed AI would transform care and cut waiting times as he announced the money for a national artificial intelligence lab, to work on digital advances to improve the detection of diseases by predicting who is most likely to get them. However, health experts warned that the NHS had a poor record with technology and any new systems would need “robust evaluation” to ensure they did more good than harm as well as proper implementation with safety standards and training.” – The Guardian
“British Isil fighters can be legally stripped of their citizenship, the High Court has ruled in the first case of its kind. Abdullah Islam challenged the decision by former home secretary Amber Rudd to deprive his son, 22-year-old Ashraf Mahmud Islam, of his British nationality. Mr Islam had wanted is son, who joined Isil aged 18 and is now being held in a Kurdish-run military prison in Syria, brought back to the UK to face justice and to be protected from facing the death penalty. However, his case was rejected on Wednesday by a High Court judge as having “no merit,” a judgement which could set a precedent for other British Isil fighters and their brides who face or have had their British citizenship revoked.” – Daily Telegraph
“Labour’s splits over Scottish independence burst into the open again yesterday as John McDonnell reaffirmed his pledge to sanction a second referendum in the face of an intensifying backlash from his party. Despite being told by the leader of Scottish Labour in a meeting yesterday morning that there was “no case” for another referendum and condemned by more than a dozen Westminster candidates, Mr McDonnell refused to back down. The shadow chancellor, who is Jeremy Corbyn’s closest political ally, dismayed his colleagues in Scotland on Tuesday when he made the significant shift of policy at an event in Edinburgh.” – The Times