Embattled British Prime Minister Boris Johnson was yesterday to gather his Conservative Party for what could be its final conference before an election, with the gathering set to be dominated by Brexit.
Despite a string of parliamentary setbacks and a defeat in the British Supreme Court, Johnson insists he will take the country out of the EU, with or without a deal, on Oct. 31.
His stance has put him at odds with the British House of Commons, which has passed a law blocking a “no deal” exit, and lost him a number of his lawmakers.
However, it resonates with many pro-Brexit voters and particularly with Conservative Party members who elected him in July.
In an interview yesterday with the BBC’s Andrew Marr, Johnson suggested he would not resign if Brexit negotiations are extended beyond the Oct. 31 deadline.
“I’ve undertaken to lead my country and party at a difficult time and I am going to do that,” Johnson said.
He declined to comment on questions about whether he had been in discussions with other EU leaders to ask one of them to veto any extension to the deadline.
Instead he said: “I do think there is a good chance” of the UK reaching an agreement with the bloc.
Johnson again defended his use of what critics say is inflammatory language in the Brexit debate.
“Martial metaphors, military metaphors are very old standard parliamentary practice,” he said.
Johnson said he thought “everybody” should calm down, adding that he was being a “model of restraint.”
“The best thing for the country and the best thing for people’s overall psychological health would be to get Brexit done,” he said.
The conference “will be a rally for Boris Johnson and a rally for Brexit,” said Tim Bale, professor of politics at Queen Mary University of London.
However, the four-day meeting in Manchester, England, risks being disrupted by parliamentary business in London.
Lawmakers were furious at Johnson’s decision to suspend parliament for five weeks early this month — a move the Supreme Court quashed on Tuesday — and refused to agree to the normal conference recess.
Opposition parties are threatening as yet unspecified maneuvers that could force ministers to race back to parliament over the coming days.
However, in what would be seen as a snub to lawmakers, Johnson is to deliver his closing speech as planned on Wednesday, when he should be answering questions in the British House of Commons.
Johnson has had a turbulent two months in office, having suffered seven successive defeats in the Commons — in the process losing his majority.
He expelled 21 Conservative lawmakers when they backed a law requiring him to delay Brexit if he cannot get a divorce deal with the EU by the middle of next month.
Johnson suspended parliament but the Supreme Court ruled this unlawful.
When he called for an election before Brexit day, lawmakers blocked him.
In a further headache, a police watchdog is looking into whether he should face investigation over his links to a US businesswoman when he was London mayor.
However, Johnson responded with defiance to the court ruling and has focused his ire on lawmakers, accusing them of “surrendering” to the EU and trying to undermine the 2016 referendum vote to leave.
His rhetoric drew accusations of stoking division, but it appears to be winning over pro-Brexit voters.
The Conservatives have had a clear lead over the main opposition Labour Party since Johnson took over.
A YouGov survey last week put them 11 points ahead, while an Opinium poll yesterday put this lead at 12 points.
“What he’s trying to do is maximize support among Leave voters,” YouGov political research manager Chris Curtis told reporters.
Poll numbers matter, because, with parliament deadlocked, most commentators expect an election in the next few months.
Additional reporting by Bloomberg
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