LONDON - British finance minister Philip
Hammond said on Sunday he would resign if Boris Johnson became
prime minister because he felt unable to support a leader happy
to take the country out of the European Union without a deal.
Hammond's decision underlines the strength of feeling in
parliament against a no-deal Brexit, which some lawmakers and
many businesses say would be catastrophic for the economy.
A loyal Conservative who has served in a number of
ministerial roles, Hammond is an unlikely rebel. He said his
fears over a no deal forced him to vote against the government
for the first time in his 22-year political career last week.
Britain's new prime minister is tipped to be former London
mayor Johnson, who has promised to leave the EU "do or die" by
an Oct. 31 deadline. That leaves him facing a tricky Brexit
challenge from the moment he would take office on Wednesday.
Johnson has said he would ramp up preparations for a no deal
to try to force the EU's negotiators to make changes to the
agreement that Prime Minister Theresa May sealed with Brussels
and UK lawmakers voted down three times.
But parliamentary opposition to a no deal is growing and the
EU is refusing to budge over that withdrawal agreement.
"I am sure I am not going to be sacked because I am going to
resign before we get to that point," Hammond told the BBC's
Andrew Marr Show, adding he would resign to May before she
tendered her own resignation to the Queen on Wednesday.
"Assuming that Boris Johnson becomes prime minister, I
understand that his conditions for serving in his government
would include accepting a no-deal (EU) exit on the 31st of
October. That is not something I could ever sign up to."
ONE OF MANY?
Johnson has said his most senior ministers "would have to be
reconciled" with the possibility of a no-deal Brexit on Oct. 31,
a departure he does not want to see happen, but one he says must
be planned for to try to increase pressure on the EU.
That stance means several more ministers who want to leave
with a deal may seek to quit before facing the prospect of being
sacked by Johnson.
Justice minister David Gauke has indicated he will also step
down on Wednesday, and some lawmakers say they expect more
pro-EU Conservatives to leave their positions to hold talks in
parliament to find a way to prevent a no deal.
Keir Starmer, Brexit policy chief in the main opposition
Labour Party, said on Twitter he respected Hammond's decision.
"I want to work with all those MPs (members of parliament)
who, like me, want to ensure parliament can stop a disastrous
no-deal exit," Starmer said.
Hammond's intention to resign led Ian Blackford, the
Westminster leader of the Scottish National Party, to predict
that Johnson could become "the shortest serving prime minister
in history".
Hammond, who according to sources close to Johnson often
infuriated the former mayor who felt the finance minister was
"talking Britain down", said he did not believe his former
colleague could win a deal with the EU by the deadline.
He instead advised the new prime minister to ask the EU for
a little longer if there were signs that the two sides could
agree on a compromise position - something Johnson's rival for
the premiership, Jeremy Hunt, has said he is open to.
But the EU has so far been steadfast in its view that it
cannot open the withdrawal agreement, and Irish Foreign Minister
Simon Coveney said both sides would be "in trouble" if the new
prime minister was intent on tearing up the deal.
He suggested the new leader could secure changes to the
political declaration on future ties to get rid of the Northern
Irish backstop - an insurance policy to avoid the return of a
hard border between the British province and Ireland.
"We hope that the backstop that many in the UK don't seem to
like can be avoided," Coveney told the BBC. "(But) we are simply
not going to move away from that withdrawal agreement."
Johnson and his supporters say the hardline stance is little
more than a negotiating ploy. But if the standoff failed to be
broken and a no deal Brexit was in the offing, Hammond would
become a high-profile backer of attempts in parliament to stop a
no deal.
"Yes, (I will campaign) to stop no deal happening on Oct. 31
without the consent of parliament," Hammond said.
"I want to be a loyal supporter of the next Conservative
government and if (it).. can deliver a negotiated Brexit deal
that protects our economy then I will strongly support that
government. And I hope I will be able to."