No-deal Brexit will be stopped, former finance minister Hammond says - Reuters

LONDON (Reuters) - Parliament will block a no-deal Brexit if unelected people behind Prime Minister Boris Johnson try to wrench Britain out of the European Union on Oct. 31 without agreement, former finance minister Philip Hammond said on Wednesday.

FILE PHOTO: Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond leaves the BBC studios in London, Britain, July 21, 2019. REUTERS/Henry Nicholls/File Photo

The United Kingdom is heading towards a constitutional crisis at home and a showdown with the EU as Johnson has vowed to leave the bloc in 78 days time without a deal unless it agrees to renegotiate a Brexit divorce.

After more than three years of Brexit dominating EU affairs, the bloc has repeatedly refused to reopen the Withdrawal Agreement which includes an Irish border insurance policy that Johnson’s predecessor, Theresa May, agreed in November.

Hammond, who served as May’s finance minister for three years, said unelected people in Johnson’s Downing Street office were setting London on an “inevitable” course towards a no-deal Brexit by demanding the backstop be dropped.

“The people behind this know that that means that there will be no deal,” Hammond told the BBC. “Parliament is clearly opposed to a no-deal exit, and the prime minister must respect that.”

The former minister’s first public intervention since resigning indicates the determination of a group of influential lawmakers to thwart Johnson if he goes for a no-deal Brexit.

Hammond said he was confident parliament, where a majority oppose a no-deal Brexit, would find a way to block that outcome.

It is, however, unclear if lawmakers have the unity or power to use the 800-year-old heart of British democracy to prevent a no-deal Brexit on Oct. 31 - likely to be the United Kingdom’s most consequential move since World War Two.

Opponents of no deal say it would be a disaster for what was once one of the West’s most stable democracies. A disorderly divorce, they say, would hurt global growth, send shockwaves through financial markets and weaken London’s claim to be the world’s preeminent financial centre.

Brexit supporters say there may be short-term disruption from a no-deal exit but that the economy will thrive if cut free from what they cast as a doomed experiment in integration that has led to Europe falling behind China and the United States.

CONSTITUTIONAL CRISIS

Heading towards one of the biggest constitutional crises in at least a century, Britain’s elite are quarrelling over how, when and even if the result of the shock 2016 referendum will be implemented.

Part of the problem is that Britain’s constitution, once touted as a global model, is uncodified and vague. It relies on precedent, but there is little for Brexit.

The House of Commons speaker John Bercow told an audience in Scotland that lawmakers could prevent a no-deal Brexit and that he would fight any attempt to prorogue, or suspend, parliament “with every bone in my body”.

“We cannot have a situation in which parliament is shut down – we are a democratic society,” the Telegraph quoted Bercow as saying at an event on the sidelines of the Edinburgh Festival.

“And parliament will be heard and nobody is going to get away, as far as I am concerned, with stopping that happening,” added the 56-year-old who says he voted “Remain” in the 2016 Brexit referendum.

Johnson, who replaced May after she failed three times to get her Brexit deal through parliament, has refused to rule out proroguing the House of Commons and Brexit supporters have vociferously encouraged him to do so if necessary.

Hammond said the Leave campaign in the 2016 referendum did not tout no deal as a likely option, so to leave under those conditions would be a betrayal of the referendum that would reduce the nation to an “inward-looking little England”.

The United Kingdom, he said, would be under threat with referendums likely on Scottish independence and a united Ireland.

FILE PHOTO: Speaker of the House of Commons John Bercow announces the results of a round of voting on alternative Brexit options at the House of Commons in London, Britain April 1, 2019 in this still image taken from video. Reuters TV via REUTERS

Johnson’s top advisor, Dominic Cummings, has reportedly said he could delay calling a general election until after Oct. 31, even if he lost a no confidence motion, allowing for a no-deal Brexit while parliament is dissolved.

Clearly with him in mind, Hammond said there were people “who are pulling the strings in Downing Street, those who are setting the strategy.”

Cummings declined to comment to Reuters.

Writing by Guy Faulconbridge; Editing by Andrew Cawthorne

Our Standards:The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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2019-08-14 07:54:00Z
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UK 'first in line' for US trade deal, says John Bolton - BBC News

The UK is "first in line" for a trade deal with the US, President Trump's national security adviser has said.

John Bolton said the US supported a no-deal Brexit and added Washington would propose an accelerated series of trade deals.

Mr Bolton claimed deals could be done on a "sector-by-sector" basis, with an agreement on manufacturing made first.

However, critics warned the UK would have to give in to some US demands in return for any trade agreement.

His comments came after meeting Prime Minister Boris Johnson at No 10.

According to Mr Bolton, a bilateral agreement or "series of agreements" could be carved out "very quickly, very straight-forwardly".

A trade deal for financial services and agriculture would not be the first to be agreed, he added.

Mr Bolton said "doing it in pieces" was not unprecedented and the US understood the importance of doing as much as possible as rapidly as possible before the 31 October exit date.

He said there would be enthusiastic bipartisan support in Congress for speedy ratification at each stage.

Mr Johnson said there "all sorts" of opportunities for UK business in the US, particularly service companies, but the negotiations will be a "tough old haggle".

"The single biggest deal we need to do is a free trade deal agreement with our friends and partners over the Channel," he said.

But Nancy Pelosi, who leads the Democrats in the US House of Representatives, said in April that a US-UK trade deal would not be "on the cards" if Brexit damaged the Good Friday peace agreement in Northern Ireland.

Asked whether his proposed plan would follow World Trade Organisation rules, Mr Bolton said "our trade negotiators seem to think it is".

And he insisted the UK was "constantly at the front of the trade queue" for the Trump administration.

Would a sector-by-sector agreement work?

By BBC economics correspondent Andrew Walker

There is a problem with sector-by-sector trade agreements. They are not compatible with WTO rules, which say free trade agreements for goods should cover "substantially all the trade".

There is no formal definition of that term but a figure of 90% has often been suggested.

It is unlikely a deal covering a few sectors would qualify. Other WTO members could start a dispute and would, on the face of it, have every chance of winning.

However, it does not mean it would be impossible. WTO rules are not enforceable in national courts so if the UK and the US wanted to go ahead they probably could.

But it would be a strange move for any country committed to the rules-based global trade system that has the WTO at its heart.

There is another problem for any trade agreement: whether it meets the "substantially all the trade" criterion or not, it would need to be ratified by the US Congress.

There is a substantial body of American legislators who would be likely to vote against it if they thought that Brexit had taken place in a way that posed a danger to the peace process and the open border on the island of Ireland.

Mr Bolton also referenced Mr Johnson's willingness to participate in Operation Sentinel, which aims to beef up the military presence in the Gulf in the face of tensions between the West and Iran, saying he was "pleased" as this "reflects a change" from Theresa May's government.

Meanwhile, former Labour foreign secretary Jack Straw described Mr Bolton as "dangerously bellicose", and suggested the UK would have to agree to some US demands, for example allowing imports of US chlorine-washed chicken.

"This is a highly transactional administration… you don't get something for nothing," he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

Lewis Lukens, a former deputy chief of mission at the US Embassy in London and former acting US ambassador, said Mr Bolton was aligned to President Trump's "America first agenda" and would be making "strong demands" on the UK to back the US position on issues like Huawei, China and Iran.

Mr Johnson is expected to have his first face-to-face meeting as prime minister with Mr Trump later this month at the G7 summit in France.

Analysis

By BBC diplomatic correspondent James Robbins

It would be hard to find a more enthusiastic champion of Brexit than John Bolton: a thoughtful, intellectual, highly combative and controversial champion of the nation state.

He caused havoc as US ambassador to the United Nations between 2005 and 2006 with his open rejection of the UN's usefulness except where it served the direct interests of the US.

So it should be no surprise that he told us at a briefing during his London visit: "Britain's success in successfully exiting the European Union is a statement about democratic rule and constitutional government that's important for Britain, but it's important for the United States too."

He stressed it was very much in the US interest and there was no "quid pro quo" with any other issues. By that, he was denying all suggestions that Britain would be expected to fall into line with Washington's Iran policy - although he clearly hoped that it might.

Likewise, he welcomed Mr Johnson's position on Huawei and 5G technology, calling it "Britain going back to square one" and re-examining the issue.

For now, Mr Bolton said, Britain was entirely focused on Brexit. The US is willing to wait. But that does leave open many questions about future relations and possible political trade-offs with the United States.

If Mr Bolton's major intervention in trade negotiations has raised some eyebrows, the National Security Advisor had a forthright answer to that.

He pointed us to the National Security Act of 1947 and told us firmly that his remit includes economic security, because the security of a nation depends fundamentally on its prosperity.

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https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-49325620

2019-08-14 00:17:36Z
CBMiJGh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmJiYy5jb20vbmV3cy91ay00OTMyNTYyMNIBKGh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmJiYy5jb20vbmV3cy9hbXAvdWstNDkzMjU2MjA

UK 'first in line' for US trade deal, says John Bolton - BBC News

The UK is "first in line" for a trade deal with the US, President Trump's national security adviser has said.

John Bolton said the US supported a no-deal Brexit and added Washington would propose an accelerated series of trade deals.

Mr Bolton claimed deals could be done on a "sector-by-sector" basis, with an agreement on manufacturing made first.

However, critics warned the UK would have to give in to some US demands in return for any trade agreement.

His comments came after meeting Prime Minister Boris Johnson at No 10.

According to Mr Bolton, a bilateral agreement or "series of agreements" could be carved out "very quickly, very straight-forwardly".

A trade deal for financial services and agriculture would not be the first to be agreed, he added.

Mr Bolton said "doing it in pieces" was not unprecedented and the US understood the importance of doing as much as possible as rapidly as possible before the 31 October exit date.

He said there would be enthusiastic bipartisan support in Congress for speedy ratification at each stage.

Mr Johnson said there "all sorts" of opportunities for UK business in the US, particularly service companies, but the negotiations will be a "tough old haggle".

"The single biggest deal we need to do is a free trade deal agreement with our friends and partners over the Channel," he said.

But Nancy Pelosi, who leads the Democrats in the US House of Representatives, said in April that a US-UK trade deal would not be "on the cards" if Brexit damaged the Good Friday peace agreement in Northern Ireland.

Asked whether his proposed plan would follow World Trade Organisation rules, Mr Bolton said "our trade negotiators seem to think it is".

And he insisted the UK was "constantly at the front of the trade queue" for the Trump administration.

Would a sector-by-sector agreement work?

By BBC economics correspondent Andrew Walker

There is a problem with sector-by-sector trade agreements. They are not compatible with WTO rules, which say free trade agreements for goods should cover "substantially all the trade".

There is no formal definition of that term but a figure of 90% has often been suggested.

It is unlikely a deal covering a few sectors would qualify. Other WTO members could start a dispute and would, on the face of it, have every chance of winning.

However, it does not mean it would be impossible. WTO rules are not enforceable in national courts so if the UK and the US wanted to go ahead they probably could.

But it would be a strange move for any country committed to the rules-based global trade system that has the WTO at its heart.

There is another problem for any trade agreement: whether it meets the "substantially all the trade" criterion or not, it would need to be ratified by the US Congress.

There is a substantial body of American legislators who would be likely to vote against it if they thought that Brexit had taken place in a way that posed a danger to the peace process and the open border on the island of Ireland.

Mr Bolton also referenced Mr Johnson's willingness to participate in Operation Sentinel, which aims to beef up the military presence in the Gulf in the face of tensions between the West and Iran, saying he was "pleased" as this "reflects a change" from Theresa May's government.

Meanwhile, former Labour foreign secretary Jack Straw described Mr Bolton as "dangerously bellicose", and suggested the UK would have to agree to some US demands, for example allowing imports of US chlorine-washed chicken.

"This is a highly transactional administration… you don't get something for nothing," he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

Lewis Lukens, a former deputy chief of mission at the US Embassy in London and former acting US ambassador, said Mr Bolton was aligned to President Trump's "America first agenda" and would be making "strong demands" on the UK to back the US position on issues like Huawei, China and Iran.

Mr Johnson is expected to have his first face-to-face meeting as prime minister with Mr Trump later this month at the G7 summit in France.

Analysis

By BBC diplomatic correspondent James Robbins

It would be hard to find a more enthusiastic champion of Brexit than John Bolton: a thoughtful, intellectual, highly combative and controversial champion of the nation state.

He caused havoc as US ambassador to the United Nations between 2005 and 2006 with his open rejection of the UN's usefulness except where it served the direct interests of the US.

So it should be no surprise that he told us at a briefing during his London visit: "Britain's success in successfully exiting the European Union is a statement about democratic rule and constitutional government that's important for Britain, but it's important for the United States too."

He stressed it was very much in the US interest and there was no "quid pro quo" with any other issues. By that, he was denying all suggestions that Britain would be expected to fall into line with Washington's Iran policy - although he clearly hoped that it might.

Likewise, he welcomed Mr Johnson's position on Huawei and 5G technology, calling it "Britain going back to square one" and re-examining the issue.

For now, Mr Bolton said, Britain was entirely focused on Brexit. The US is willing to wait. But that does leave open many questions about future relations and possible political trade-offs with the United States.

If Mr Bolton's major intervention in trade negotiations has raised some eyebrows, the National Security Advisor had a forthright answer to that.

He pointed us to the National Security Act of 1947 and told us firmly that his remit includes economic security, because the security of a nation depends fundamentally on its prosperity.

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https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-49325620

2019-08-13 16:18:11Z
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UK 'first in line' for US trade deal, says John Bolton - BBC News

The UK is "first in line" for a trade deal with the US, President Trump's national security adviser has said.

John Bolton said the US supported a no-deal Brexit and added Washington would propose an accelerated series of trade deals.

Mr Bolton claimed deals could be done on a "sector-by-sector" basis, with an agreement on manufacturing made first.

However, critics warned the UK would have to give in to some US demands in return for any trade agreement.

His comments came after meeting Prime Minister Boris Johnson at No 10.

According to Mr Bolton, a bilateral agreement or "series of agreements" could be carved out "very quickly, very straight-forwardly".

A trade deal for financial services and agriculture would not be the first to be agreed, he added.

Mr Bolton said "doing it in pieces" was not unprecedented and the US understood the importance of doing as much as possible as rapidly as possible before the 31 October exit date.

He said there would be enthusiastic bipartisan support in Congress for speedy ratification at each stage.

But Nancy Pelosi, who leads the Democrats in the US House of Representatives, said in April that a US-UK trade deal would not be "on the cards" if Brexit damaged the Good Friday peace agreement in Northern Ireland.

Asked whether his proposed plan would follow World Trade Organisation rules, Mr Bolton said "our trade negotiators seem to think it is".

And he insisted the UK was "constantly at the front of the trade queue" for the Trump administration.

Would a sector-by-sector agreement work?

By BBC economics correspondent Andrew Walker

There is a problem with sector-by-sector trade agreements. They are not compatible with WTO rules, which say free trade agreements for goods should cover "substantially all the trade".

There is no formal definition of that term but a figure of 90% has often been suggested.

It is unlikely a deal covering a few sectors would qualify. Other WTO members could start a dispute and would, on the face of it, have every chance of winning.

However, it does not mean it would be impossible. WTO rules are not enforceable in national courts so if the UK and the US wanted to go ahead they probably could.

But it would be a strange move for any country committed to the rules-based global trade system that has the WTO at its heart.

There is another problem for any trade agreement: whether it meets the "substantially all the trade" criterion or not, it would need to be ratified by the US Congress.

There is a substantial body of American legislators who would be likely to vote against it if they thought that Brexit had taken place in a way that posed a danger to the peace process and the open border on the island of Ireland.

Mr Bolton also referenced Mr Johnson's willingness to participate in Operation Sentinel, which aims to beef up the military presence in the Gulf in the face of tensions between the West and Iran, saying he was "pleased" as this "reflects a change" from Theresa May's government.

Meanwhile, former Labour foreign secretary Jack Straw described Mr Bolton as "dangerously bellicose", and suggested the UK would have to agree to some US demands, for example allowing imports of US chlorine-washed chicken.

"This is a highly transactional administration… you don't get something for nothing," he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

Lewis Lukens, a former deputy chief of mission at the US Embassy in London and former acting US ambassador, said Mr Bolton was aligned to President Trump's "America first agenda" and would be making "strong demands" on the UK to back the US position on issues like Huawei, China and Iran.

Mr Johnson is expected to have his first face-to-face meeting as prime minister with Mr Trump later this month at the G7 summit in France.

Analysis

By BBC diplomatic correspondent James Robbins

It would be hard to find a more enthusiastic champion of Brexit than John Bolton: a thoughtful, intellectual, highly combative and controversial champion of the nation state.

He caused havoc as US ambassador to the United Nations between 2005 and 2006 with his open rejection of the UN's usefulness except where it served the direct interests of the US.

So it should be no surprise that he told us at a briefing during his London visit: "Britain's success in successfully exiting the European Union is a statement about democratic rule and constitutional government that's important for Britain, but it's important for the United States too."

He stressed it was very much in the US interest and there was no "quid pro quo" with any other issues. By that, he was denying all suggestions that Britain would be expected to fall into line with Washington's Iran policy - although he clearly hoped that it might.

Likewise, he welcomed Mr Johnson's position on Huawei and 5G technology, calling it "Britain going back to square one" and re-examining the issue.

For now, Mr Bolton said, Britain was entirely focused on Brexit. The US is willing to wait. But that does leave open many questions about future relations and possible political trade-offs with the United States.

If Mr Bolton's major intervention in trade negotiations has raised some eyebrows, the National Security Advisor had a forthright answer to that.

He pointed us to the National Security Act of 1947 and told us firmly that his remit includes economic security, because the security of a nation depends fundamentally on its prosperity.

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https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-49325620

2019-08-13 13:47:40Z
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UK 'first in line' for US trade deal, says John Bolton - BBC News

The UK is "first in line" for a trade deal with the US, President Trump's national security adviser has said.

John Bolton said the US supported a no-deal Brexit and added Washington would propose an accelerated series of trade deals.

Mr Bolton claimed deals could be done on a "sector-by-sector" basis, with an agreement on manufacturing made first.

However, critics warned the UK would have to give in to some US demands in return for any trade agreement.

His comments came after meeting Prime Minister Boris Johnson at No 10.

According to Mr Bolton, a bilateral agreement or "series of agreements" could be carved out "very quickly, very straight-forwardly".

A trade deal for financial services and agriculture would not be the first to be agreed, he added.

Mr Bolton said "doing it in pieces" was not unprecedented and the US understood the importance of doing as much as possible as rapidly as possible before the 31 October exit date.

He said there would be enthusiastic bipartisan support in Congress for speedy ratification at each stage.

But Nancy Pelosi, who leads the Democrats in the US House of Representatives, said in April that a US-UK trade deal would not be "on the cards" if Brexit damaged the Good Friday peace agreement in Northern Ireland.

Asked whether his proposed plan would follow World Trade Organisation rules, Mr Bolton said "our trade negotiators seem to think it is".

And he insisted the UK was "constantly at the front of the trade queue" for the Trump administration.

Would a sector-by-sector agreement work?

By BBC economics correspondent Andrew Walker

There is a problem with sector-by-sector trade agreements. They are not compatible with WTO rules, which say free trade agreements for goods should cover "substantially all the trade".

There is no formal definition of that term but a figure of 90% has often been suggested.

It is unlikely a deal covering a few sectors would qualify. Other WTO members could start a dispute and would, on the face of it, have every chance of winning.

However, it does not mean it would be impossible. WTO rules are not enforceable in national courts so if the UK and the US wanted to go ahead they probably could.

But it would be a strange move for any country committed to the rules-based global trade system that has the WTO at its heart.

There is another problem for any trade agreement: whether it meets the "substantially all the trade" criterion or not, it would need to be ratified by the US Congress.

There is a substantial body of American legislators who would be likely to vote against it if they thought that Brexit had taken place in a way that posed a danger to the peace process and the open border on the island of Ireland.

Mr Bolton also referenced Mr Johnson's willingness to participate in Operation Sentinel, which aims to beef up the military presence in the Gulf in the face of tensions between the West and Iran, saying he was "pleased" as this "reflects a change" from Theresa May's government.

Meanwhile, former Labour foreign secretary Jack Straw described Mr Bolton as "dangerously bellicose", and suggested the UK would have to agree to some US demands, for example allowing imports of US chlorine-washed chicken.

"This is a highly transactional administration… you don't get something for nothing," he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

Lewis Lukens, a former deputy chief of mission at the US Embassy in London and former acting US ambassador, said Mr Bolton was aligned to President Trump's "America first agenda" and would be making "strong demands" on the UK to back the US position on issues like Huawei, China and Iran.

Mr Johnson is expected to have his first face-to-face meeting as prime minister with Mr Trump later this month at the G7 summit in France.

Analysis

By BBC diplomatic correspondent James Robbins

It would be hard to find a more enthusiastic champion of Brexit than John Bolton: a thoughtful, intellectual, highly combative and controversial champion of the nation state.

He caused havoc as US ambassador to the United Nations between 2005 and 2006 with his open rejection of the UN's usefulness except where it served the direct interests of the US.

So it should be no surprise that he told us at a briefing during his London visit: "Britain's success in successfully exiting the European Union is a statement about democratic rule and constitutional government that's important for Britain, but it's important for the United States too."

He stressed it was very much in the US interest and there was no "quid pro quo" with any other issues. By that, he was denying all suggestions that Britain would be expected to fall into line with Washington's Iran policy - although he clearly hoped that it might.

Likewise, he welcomed Mr Johnson's position on Huawei and 5G technology, calling it "Britain going back to square one" and re-examining the issue.

For now, Mr Bolton said, Britain was entirely focussed on Brexit. The US is willing to wait. But that does leave open many questions about future relations and possible political trade-offs with the United States.

If Mr Bolton's major intervention in trade negotiations has raised some eyebrows, the National Security Advisor had a forthright answer to that.

He pointed us to the National Security Act of 1947 and told us firmly that his remit includes economic security, because the security of a nation depends fundamentally on its prosperity.

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2019-08-13 11:10:15Z
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Nigel Farage: 'Queen Mother was a chain-smoking gin drinker' - Sky News

Nigel Farage says the late Queen Mother lived to 101 as he expresses his desire for the Queen to "reign for a very long time" to keep Prince Charlies off the throne.

Why you can trust Sky News

More stories

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2019-08-12 10:18:45Z
52780351214261

Gordon Brown: Union is 'sleepwalking into oblivion' amid nationalism - BBC News

Gordon Brown has warned that under Boris Johnson the union of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland is "sleepwalking into oblivion".

Writing in the Observer, Mr Brown blamed "destructive, nationalist ideology" and said the ideal of Britishness as tolerant "could not survive" a no-deal Brexit.

"We are, at best, only a precariously united kingdom," Mr Brown wrote.

He also criticised the prime minister's new adviser, Dominic Cummings.

It comes after Mr Johnson travelled to all four parts of the UK in his first few weeks in office, with No 10 saying he was a "passionate believer in the power of the Union".

Mr Johnson has said the UK will leave the EU on the current deadline of 31 October, whether a Brexit "divorce" deal - which sets out how Britain leaves - is agreed in time or not.

Mr Brown criticised Mr Johnson's government, which he said was driven "not by the national interest but by a destructive, populist, nationalist ideology".

"We must recognise that nationalism is now driving British politics," he wrote.

Under Mr Johnson's premiership, claimed Mr Brown, the UK is "devoid of a unifying purpose powerful enough to hold it together and to keep four nationalisms - Scottish, Irish, English, and also a rising Welsh nationalism - at bay.

"What is most worrying is not just that so many think the union will end but how, at least for now, so few appear to care."

A recent opinion poll indicated that most Conservative Party members prioritise leaving the EU over preserving the union.

Some 63% of respondents said they would rather Brexit took place even if it led to Scottish independence - 59% expressed the same view about Brexit leading to Northern Ireland leaving the UK.

Speaking later on Sunday at a Fringe by the Sea event in North Berwick, Mr Brown repeated his assertion a no-deal Brexit would be a "complete disaster", arguing it would place new strain on the union.

He also said withholding UK contributions to the EU in the event of a no-deal Brexit would be the "economic equivalent of declaring war" and create hostility between the UK and Europe.

He called for a constitutional convention to consider the future of the whole UK and a new senate of the nations and regions to replace the House of Lords.

'Must stop no deal'

In his Observer article, Mr Brown also attacked the style of Mr Johnson's cabinet, saying the UK's approach to leadership now included "choosing an enemy and accusing opponents of treason".

He described the PM's new adviser, Mr Cummings, as someone who "depicts the House of Commons as the enemy in a 'people v parliament' election".

Mr Brown also criticised shadow chancellor John McDonnell, who he said "fell into the nationalist trap" over comments made earlier this week about a future Labour government not blocking a second Scottish independence referendum.

• No-deal Brexit: What you need to know
• Gordon Brown: Brexit threatens future of UK

Mr Brown added that Britain needed to rediscover virtues such as empathy and co-operation - and that the idea of a Britishness, which is tolerant, inclusive and outward-looking, "could not survive" a no-deal Brexit.

"To prevent the rise of dysfunctional nationalism, the first step is to stop no deal in its tracks," he added.

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2019-08-11 17:28:38Z
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