Tory ministers have refused to rule out using a crafty trick exposed by Sir John Major to ram through a no-deal Brexit .
The former Prime Minister last night claimed Boris Johnson could use an 'Order in Council' from the Queen to override a law that's designed to stop no-deal happening on October 31.
Remainer Sir John declared: "If this route is taken it will be in flagrant defiance of Parliament and utterly disrespectful to the Supreme Court.
"It would be a piece of political chicanery that no-one should ever forgive or forget."
MPs passed a law that will force the PM to request a three-month Brexit delay if there's no agreement by October 19.
But asked this week if he would seek that delay, Boris Johnson said bluntly: "No."
Yet Mr Johnson has also claimed he will abide by the law.
Now Sir John Major believes he knows the answer.
Last night he said he fears the government will "bypass" the law using an Order of the Privy Council, made by the Queen on the advice of senior government advisors - and usually used for minor issues.
There is no clear indication that Boris Johnson will attempt the trick.But since Sir John made his claim, senior Tories have not denied it either.
Conservative Party chairman James Cleverly, who sits in the Cabinet, did not rule out the move last night.
Mr Cleverly told the BBC's Question Time: "I’m not going to discuss how we’re going to progress with this.
"I’ll tell you why, because what we have seen in parliament is people bending conventions, stepping outside standing orders, making up new procedures on the hoof in order to prevent Brexit being delivered, in the face of the largest electoral event in our country’s history.
"What I’m not going to do, is I’m not going to talk through how the government intends to discharge its business knowing full well there are a whole load of people who will try to distort every procedure we have in British politics to try and prevent that.”
A second Cabinet minister, Alok Sharma, refused four times to explain how the government will both obey the law and still force Brexit to happen on October 31.
He said "we've been very very clear we will comply with the law" and "we absolutely respect the judiciary".
But quizzed repeatedly by BBC Radio 4's Today programme, he said "we are leaving on October 31" - while giving no indication how.
He refused to say whether the Cabinet had discussed a way to get round the law - or whether he even knew what it was.
He added Boris Johnson is, despite everything, still trying to get a Brexit deal before October 31 with Brexit Secretary Stephen Barclay meeting EU Brexit chief Michel Barnier today.
