Cabinet resignations and MP defections await Boris Johnson

A number of senior cabinet ministers are set resign if Boris Johnson becomes prime minister this week, with reports up to six Conservative MPs could defect to the Lib Dems in a bid to thwart a no-deal Brexit.

Speaking to the BBC’s Andrew Marr, the Chancellor Philip Hammond said he intends to resign on Wednesday before Theresa May stands down, as Johnson’s threat to pursue a no-deal Brexit was “not something I could ever sign up to”.

“It’s not a surprise that Philip Hammond has decided not to serve in a Johnson government” says BBC political correspondent Nick Eardly “but the manner of the announcement - live on television, hammering Mr Johnson's key policy on Brexit so publicly - shows just how deep divisions in the Tory Party run”.

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His announcement was quickly followed by news the Justice Secretary David Gauke will also resign because he cannot serve under Boris Johnson while he is pursuing a no-deal Brexit that he said would bring national “humiliation” for Britain when it has to go back to hammer out some kind of relationship.

That sentiment was echoed by Defense Minister Tobias Ellwood, who told Sophy Ridge on Sky News that Johnson might “run away” without a deal but would have to “crawl back literally moments later” to work out how to protect financial services, citizens rights and other crucial areas.

The Guardian reports that Hammond and Gauke “were among a number of ministers who defied government whips last week to abstain on a backbench motion that would make it much harder for Johnson to suspend parliament and thus stop MPs from blocking no deal”.

With up to a dozen ministers expected to resign in protest over plans to keep the no-deal option open “there is an element of jumping before they are pushed” says Eardly. “But it’s also a reminder the next PM will face the same huge challenge Theresa May faced - how do you manage discipline in a bitterly divided party, with such a slender working majority in Parliament? Nobody knows the answer for sure.”

Politico says Johnson is “unlikely to lose too much sleep over the departures of Hammond and Gauke — as well as other no-deal critics who are likely to follow them out the door” but is instead “more concerned with who will replace them, with the Sunday papers full of reshuffle speculation”.

However, reports in The Sunday Times that as many as six Conservative MPs are due to hold talks with the Liberal Democrats this week with the aim of derailing Brexit will cause alarm in Johnson’s office.

Sources close to the talks say the discussions will include the possibility of a vote of no confidence in Johnson or even the option of Tory MPs defecting to the anti-Brexit party.

“If only two were to switch, it would immediately deny Boris Johnson a parliamentary majority if, as expected, he is named Conservative leader on Tuesday” says the paper.

Plans being drawn up to prevent Johnson pushing through no deal include a cross-party plot by MPs and peers to vote down the government in the autumn and install a government of national unity, led potentially by either Hammond or Labour’s shadow Brexit secretary Sir Keir Starmer.

Hammond is a number of prominent Tory MPs, including the former attorney general Dominic Grieve, who have indicated they might vote to bring down the government to stop no-deal Brexit.

“The Brexit chaos has brought about many unexpected consequences. Unlikely alliances have formed. Improbable heroes and villains have emerged” writes Lizzy Buchan in The Independent.

“One of the most extraordinary transformations has been Philip Hammond, whose shift from loyal chancellor to no-deal critic and then backbench rebel is nearly complete”.