Robert Peston Robert Peston

Will Boris Johnson be impeached?

A conspicuously rattled and tired Boris Johnson – flanked surreally by the police in Wakefield – said yesterday he would ‘rather be dead in a ditch’ than obey the expected new law that would force him to ask the EU for a Brexit delay.

Which carries only two implications.

Johnson could quit as Prime Minister before the EU summit on October 17 and bequeath to some other temporary prime minister the gift of suing the EU for a Brexit delay.

That could happen, but honestly I don’t believe Johnson will ever voluntarily quit Downing Street.

He’s waited for this moment too long.

Apart from anything else, any new PM – presumably temporary leader of a government of national unity – might well offer the EU the promise of a Brexit referendum in order to secure a Brexit postponement, and Johnson would also presumably die in a ditch to prevent that.

Robert Peston
Written by
Robert Peston
Robert Peston is Political Editor of ITV News and host of the weekly political discussion show Peston. His articles originally appeared on his ITV News blog.

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