Tory Party chairman tells Bedford: “It’s a Boris Johnson deal or a No Deal Brexit”

Labour MPs are to blame for Brexit not having been passed – and Conservatives who have voted against previous Brexit bills should be excused.

That was the message from  Tory Party chairman James Cleverly when he came to  Bedford on Friday (August 30).

The Braintree MP was at The Foresters Arms two days after Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced he was suspending Parliament until October 14.

He said: “If we can’t get a deal then we have to leave without a deal.

“Labour and Jeremy Corbyn have had years to debate this in Parliament. They have failed to agree a deal proposed by the government.”

Mr Cleverly said that MPs would still have time to vote on Brexit – but that the choice would be between a deal proposed by Boris Johnson or a ‘No Deal’ Brexit.

And he denied that anyone could criticise fellow cabinet members such as Jacob Rees-Mogg, who twice voted against Theresa May’s Withdrawal Agreement.

He said: “The difference is Jacob always said that he was willing to back a deal. But if it couldn’t get through he was willing to go without a deal.”

And despite numerous other cabinet members previously speaking out against the idea of suspending Parliament – including Sajid Javid saying it would “trash democracy” and Matt Hancock saying it would be an insult to the soldiers who gave their lives in the Second World War – Mr Cleverly said: “We debated Brexit for 500 days. I’m not sure how much longer people want.”