JEREMY Hunt opened the door to another lengthy Brexit delay yesterday after refusing to name an absolute deadline for leaving the EU. The Foreign Secretary, who yesterday won the backing of chief Remainer Amber Rudd and leading Brexiteer Penny Mordaunt, said he would “try very, very hard” to get a deal by October 31. But […]
JEREMY Hunt opened the door to another lengthy Brexit delay yesterday after refusing to name an absolute deadline for leaving the EU.
The Foreign Secretary, who yesterday won the backing of chief Remainer Amber Rudd and leading Brexiteer Penny Mordaunt, said he would “try very, very hard” to get a deal by October 31.
But he warned that the new PM might not even be able to start renegotiating with the EU until November 1 because its new Commission only starts then.
Mr Hunt, who campaigned for Remain in the 2016 referendum, attacked his Brexiteer leadership rivals who have pledged to leave by Halloween come what may.
He said leaving without a deal on October 31 would trigger a General Election in which the Tories would be “annihilated”.
In a pointed swipe at Boris Johnson he said the Tory party needs to “get real” on Brexit, adding: “A serious moment calls for a serious leader.”
But winning the backing of Ms Rudd sparked fears he was going soft on Brexit.
One MP told The Sun: “Amber has picked Hunt because she believes he will wimp on Brexit.”
I’ve always said I would be prepared to leave without a deal if there was a straight choice between no deal and no Brexit
Jeremy Hunt
Mr Hunt hit back by insisting he would be prepared to take Britain out of the EU without a deal but would not do so if he believed he could pass a deal.
But he repeatedly refused to put a date on how long he would extend Article 50 for.
Launching his leadership contest in central London, Mr Hunt said: “I’ve always said I would be prepared to leave without a deal if there was a straight choice between no deal and no Brexit.
“But I would do so with a heavy heart because of the risks to businesses and the union.
“And I would not do so if a deal that commands the support of parliament was in sight.
Explaining why pledging to leave without a deal in October would risk booting the Tories out of power, Mr Hunt said: “Without a deal, any Prime Minister who promised to leave by a certain date would have to call a general election to change the parliamentary arithmetic.
“And that is an election we would lose badly.
“If we fight an election before delivering Brexit we will be annihilated.
“Squeezed by the Brexit Party on the right and the Lib Dems on the left. We will simply allow Labour through the middle.
“And, if that happened nationally it would be the end of Brexit.”
Meanwhile Mr Hunt was left red-faced last night after rowing back on comments that he had never broken the law.
He was asked the question in light of Michael Gove’s cocaine admission, and replied: “I’m just really racking my brain at the moment, but the answer is no.”
But just five hours later Mr Hunt was forced to clarify his remarks, telling Buzzfeed News that he had once breached his own Government’s anti-money laundering laws last year.
A spokesman said he had “accepted these mistakes were his responsibility” and they were a “genuine oversight”.
Last year MR Hunt failed to declare to Companies House his 50 per cent interest in a property firm used to purchase seven luxury flats.
