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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
Politics
Katy Clifton

Conservative Party Conference 2019: Dominic Raab warns Tory MPs 'history would never forgive you' if they helped Jeremy Corbyn become caretaker PM

Dominic Raab speaks on the first day of Conservative Party Conference (Picture: Getty Images)

Dominic Raab has warned Tory MPs and former members of the party that "history would never forgive you" if they helped Jeremy Corbyn become a caretaker prime minister.

Speaking at the Tory party conference in Manchester, the Foreign Secretary criticised Labour's leader and said keeping the opposition party out of Downing Street is a priority for the Conservatives.

He said: "I say this as a passionate Brexiteer, there are some things even bigger than Brexit - and keeping that lot out of Downing Street is one of them.

"So, to any of our colleagues - or former colleagues - who may just be tempted to put Jeremy Corbyn and that Momentum mob into No 10 as part of some temporary anti-Brexit coalition, I just say this: history would never forgive you."

Dominic Raab at the Tory party conference (Getty Images)

Mr Raab then attacked the Liberal Democrats for wanting to cancel the referendum result.

He said: "And as for the Liberal Democrats - they want to scrap the result of the 2016 vote. You can't call yourself a democrat, put it in the name of your party and then try to cancel a referendum."

Mr Raab continued: "This Prime Minister is offering a better way forward. Let's get Brexit done, let's move on, let's unite behind our One Nation vision for the country, and let's bring the Conservative family back together.

"We in the Conservative party keep our promises. We're going to make a success of Brexit, and we will free our country to reach its full potential."

The Foreign Secretary added that the British people have had "more than enough" of EU leaders "disrespecting" British prime ministers.

He told the conference in Manchester: "We'll strive in good faith for a good deal.

"But if the EU spurns the opportunity for a win-win deal, we will leave at the end of October - no ifs, no buts."

Mr Raab earlier said the UK will bring into force a UK Magnitsky law post-Brexit.

He said of the plan: "To place visa bans and asset freezes on those individuals deemed responsible for serious human rights abuses, like torture."

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