‘We will bring him down’: Rory Stewart challenges Johnson over possibility of proroguing parliament

Following the second round of the Tory leadership race he was asked about it by Sky News’ Beth Rigby who noted that Johnson, the runaway favourite, had not ruled it out.

Stewart said that firstly, Johnson needs to be “straight” about whether he’d do this.

“That is an unconstitutional, improper, really disturbing suggestion that you’d try to get something through by locking the doors of parliament,” he continued. “Answer us. I’ve been asking for a week.”

But if Johnson were to try, Stewart would stand in his way.

This is the answer to the question we've been asking for a week. Boris would it seems consider locking the doors of parliament in defiance of constitution, decency and the courts. People must choose what kind of leadership they want and trust. I would not trust this. pic.twitter.com/pwiGH9tYTn
— Rory Stewart (@RoryStewartUK) June 12, 2019

“I, and every other member of parliament will sit across the road in Methodist Central Hall and we will hold our own session of parliament and we will bring him down.

“Because you do not ever lock the doors on parliament. In this country or indeed in any other country with any respect in the world.”

Stewart himself is still in the race after receiving 19 votes, but his popularity among MPs is dwarfed by Johnson’s 114 votes.

READ: Leadsom, McVey and Harper eliminated in first ballot of Tory leadership contestAsked how he would “bring down” the prime minister, Stewart said: “He would be doing it because he knew that parliament was entirely and completely against the central plank of his policy. And he would try to stop parliament from bringing him down by not allowing parliament to sit.

"We will bring him down" - @RoryStewartUK passionately challenges @BorisJohnson over his claim that he could suspend Parliament in order to push through a no-deal Brexit.

Get live updates and analysis here: https://t.co/9q3JgOhW5V pic.twitter.com/pZUhzJgg9c
— Sky News Politics (@SkyNewsPolitics) June 13, 2019

“That’s what Charles I did. That led to very very disturbing things in this country.”

Stewart, who is against a no-deal Brexit, did not vote for the Labour-led opposition day motion that sought to give parliament control of the order paper, calling it “unconstitutional”.

The motion was motivated by fears that parliament could be silenced by prorogation.

WATCH: Eight Labour MPs vote against Commons bid to block no-deal Brexit with more abstaining“I voted against the Labour motion today because it was an attempt to take control of the order paper on a blank check,” he said in a tweet.

“You do not fight the constitutional outrage of proroguing parliament with another unconstitutional step. No-deal must be prevented by government and parliament.”