Cabinet minister Matt Hancock today claimed Tory leadership contenders willing to prorogue Parliament over Brexit were insulting D-Day veterans who had fought for democracy.
Dominic Raab and Esther McVey have both suggested that Parliament could be suspended to force through a no-deal Brexit before the October 31 deadline.
But Mr Hancock, the Health Secretary, said any plan to shut down Parliament flew in the face of the principles British soldiers fought for during the Second World War.
At the launch of his campaign for the Tory leadership at the Southbank Centre today, he said: “This idea from some people that to deliver Brexit we should suspend our parliamentary democracy, that we should prorogue Parliament, that goes against everything those men wading onto those beaches fought and died for. And I will not have it. They made that sacrifice so we could create a better world and we have.” Mr Raab has said he would consider proroguing Parliament as a way of stopping MPs from blocking a no deal, and fellow leadership candidate Ms McVey said such a move was part of a “toolkit” to get Brexit delivered on time.
The odds on Mr Hancock becoming the next Tory leader are 100-1. He was the first of the 11 leadership candidates to launch an official campaign.
In his speech today he appealed to younger party members, referring to the needs of the under-thirties and stressing Britain’s digital potential.
In a swipe at front-runner Boris Johnson, he said: “Some people say we need a famous face. But after all the bitterness and rancour of the past few years, we’ve got to move forward.”
“We need to bring our country together. We need a fresh face.”
Mr Hancock was elected MP for West Suffolk in 2010 and has also been a skills minister, a Cabinet Office minister and Secretary of State for Culture.
