Tories should resign from party over Boris Johnson's suspension of Parliament, says former Yorkshire Conservative Association chairman

The former chairman of a Yorkshire Conservative Association has called on his former Tory colleagues to resign their membership over Boris Johnson's decision to suspend Parliament for five weeks.
Dr Jason AldissDr Jason Aldiss
Dr Jason Aldiss

Dr Jason Aldiss, who resigned as Chairman of the Pudsey Conservative Association on the day Mr Johnson was appointed Prime Minister, accused him of "treading the path of a coward".

Earlier, Leader of the House of Commons Jacob Rees-Mogg.claimed outrage triggered by the Prime Minister's decision was "phoney".

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The leading Brexiteer and Boris Johnson ally also hit back at Commons Speaker John Bercow's intervention on the decision to prorogue Parliament, saying it was "not constitutional" for him to speak out in such a way.

Mr Rees-Mogg insisted the move was not intended to limit the time available for MPs to debate Brexit but will allow the Government to tackle other issues.

He said: "I think the outrage is phoney and it is created by people who don't want us to leave the European Union and are trying very hard to overturn the referendum result and don't want the benefits of leaving the European Union."

He added: "Parliament wasn't going to be sitting for most of this time anyway. This is completely constitutional and proper."

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Thirsk and Malton MP Kevin Hollinrake wrote on Twitter: "Whilst I understand that suspending parliament at a critical time is far from ideal, reality is that this will reduce scheduled sitting of the house by only six days and this is only necessary because 98 per cent of opposition MPs consistently vote against a deal and trying to delay Brexit date will undermine our negotiating position at a key stage.

Dr Jason AldissDr Jason Aldiss
Dr Jason Aldiss

"Assuming we do now get revision/replacement of backstop, all MPs will only have choice to leave with a deal or leave with no deal."

And Brexiteer MP Andrea Jenkyns, representing Morley and Outwood, wrote: " Remainers think that scheduling a Queen's Speech in the longest Parliament of the modern times is undemocratic because it wouldn't give them the time to frustrate the will of the British people."

In a statement released today, Dr Aldiss said: “I said long before Boris Johnson entered Downing Street that he was unfit to hold high office. His actions in the few short weeks since becoming Prime Minister have only served to reinforce this view.

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“He is a manikin, an empty vessel, a clanging cymbal who dances on the stage of popularism to the tunes of Dominic Cummings, his puppeteer master who controls his every thought, word and deed.

“Cummings himself could be described as a modern-day Machiavelli, but without equivalent standards of morals or scruples.

“By choosing to suspend Parliament when we are in the midst of a national crisis, Boris Johnson is treading the path of coward which is not remotely in the traditions of a once great party.

“Those who choose to stay inside his treacherous tent will be as complicit as the Prime Minister for the untold damage caused to the economy and reputation of our country.

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“Honourable Conservative Party members – elected and unelected - who consider themselves to be patriots and democrats who believe in the rule of law, freedom and British constitutional norms should resign en masse and declare publicly that they have done so."