Jacob Rees-Mogg, 50, joined Good Morning Britain hosts Richard Bacon, 43, and Charlotte Hawkins, 44, to discuss Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s demand to suspend Parliament in the coming weeks as the Brexit deadline looms. Following the announcement yesterday, more than a million people have signed a petition for the decision to be overturned despite the Queen giving her approval. Earlier this year, a number of Conservative Party members voiced their concern a suspension was on the table when the Brexit deadline of 31 October would be in play, with viewers being shown clips of the MPs in question.
After the clips were played out, Bacon went on to ask: “Can they stay in cabinet given how strongly they are outraged by proroguing?”
Hitting back, Rees-Mogg replied: “I think you are being selective in the bits of what they’ve said you’re focussing on.”
Bacon stated what the MPs were saying were “pretty clear” to which Rees-Mogg said: “It was very clear.
“Nicky Morgan said suspending Parliament for two months – there was this idea I was opposed to and spoke out against so you could portably find a clip from me saying much the same.”
Going back to his original train of thought, Rees-Mogg explained: “Suspending Parliament from July to 1 November, would’ve been ridiculous and absurd and nobody would have done it.
“This is a routine resetting to have a Queen’s speech asked for when I responded to as Leader of the House of Commons at the end of July.”
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At the beginning of the interview, Rees-Mogg gave his take on the latest developments unfolding in Parliament.
“First of all, a million people may have signed a petition, but 17.4 million went out to the ballot box to vote to Leave,” he said. “That’s a much bigger democratic mandate.
“In terms of uniting the country, you raise a really crucial point, it seems to me that when we leave on the 31st of October, that will be the point at which the country begins to reunite.
“Once we’ve left, and it’s fact, and delivered and we get on with a new Queen’s speech to the domestic agenda, then I think you will see the country coming back together again.
“Because the fight will be over, it will be finished and the conclusion will have been reached.”
Explaining the suspension would have no significant impact on Parliament, Rees-Mogg said: “The number of days lost that we would have actually been sitting is a completely routine number in line with the historic averages.
“We weren’t going to be sitting in late September and early October anyway, as is completely conventional.
“The House hasn’t sat in those periods for 80 years. This is not a significant change to the amount of time available in Parliament.
“And actually, as we will lose now the November recess, I would have thought inevitably, the number of days will be made up later in the year.”
Rees-Mogg rounded off the interview by confirming Parliament would be sitting in the imminent lead up to the Brexit deadline.
Good Morning Britain airs weekdays at 6am on ITV.
