Michael Gove could delay Brexit by months beyond the current October 31 deadline if he becomes prime minister, a senior ally has suggested.
The environment secretary, one of the leading candidates to replace Theresa May, told a hustings of Tory MPs he would be willing to extend Article 50 if a renegotiated exit deal was within reach, but equally would not take no deal off the table if Brussels was being intransigent.
His strategy involves renegotiating the controversial Irish border backstop to bring the DUP onside, which could lock scores of Tory Brexiteer votes, and pursuing in the long-term a loose Canada-style free trade deal.
If he makes progress in talks before October 31 this could mean delaying Brexit by up to “a few months” to get a deal over the line, according to former minister and ally George Eustice.
Leading Brexiteer candidates Boris Johnson and Dominic Raab have pledged to leave the EU on that deadline, deal or no deal, with the former saying the Tories face “extinction” if they fail to do so.
But Gove told the behind-closed-doors hustings, hosted by the One Nation group of Tory MPs, that no deal “wouldn’t be ideal” and that he would not be bound by the October 31 deadline if an agreement was in reach.
Eustice said that rival candidates offering “easy, simple answers” by promising to leave on October 31 in any circumstance would “come unstuck” because parliament could block a no-deal Brexit.
Eustice added: “It isn’t that he’s planning to extend for 12 months, it’s just that if you’ve got to a position where you have nearly got a deal there, you are 95% of the way there, you just need a few more weeks or even a few more months to clear it up, it would be foolish at that point to flounce off because you’ve committed to leave come what may at the end of October, when for the sake of a few more weeks or months you could have an orderly Brexit.”
Another supportive MP said Gove had a “very positive reception” and aimed a dig at the environment secretary’s old foe Johnson, whose hustings on Tuesday was attended by many of his backers.
“It wasn’t stuffed with supporters like yesterday, today was just people who turned up, so in that it was a really good reception,” the MP said.
Raab meanwhile used the event to refuse to rule out proroguing - simply ending - the parliamentary session in order to drive through Brexit on October 31 without MPs having the opportunity to block no deal.
His ally, the education minister Nadhim Zahawi, said Raab would not rule anything out except delaying Brexit, warning about the danger of getting “boxed in”.
And he said a failure to leave the EU on October 31 would leave the UK with “zero credibility”.
Work and Pensions Secretary Amber Rudd, one of the leaders of the One Nation group, said Raab’s comments on prorogation did not go down well with moderate Tories in the room.
“I think it’s outrageous to consider proroguing parliament,” Rudd said.
“This is not the Stuart kings.”
The former Brexit secretary also refused to rule out working with Nigel Farage in future.
“He said he wouldn’t have Nigel Farage negotiating on his behalf but he didn’t rule out potentially working with him,” Tory ex-cabinet minister Nicky Morgan said.
Another leading candidate, Jeremy Hunt, was said to have been candid about the challenges a new leader will face in delivering Brexit, and refused to rule out a delay beyond October 31.
But stressing he was “not Theresa in trousers”, he also pledged to try and renegotiate the Brexit deal in time for the deadline.
And he suggested he had received indications from French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel at D-Day commemorations on Wednesday that the EU might move.
But he warned: “I won’t pretend this will be easy. I met Macron and Merkel today in Portsmouth and a hardline approach will lead to a hardline response.
“They will wait for parliament to block no deal.
“There is a deal here and we have a responsibility to find it. If we go to the EU and put a gun to their head they’re going to walk.”
Rudd, seen as a potential kingmaker in the leadership contest, said she had still not decided who to back but praised Hunt and Gove’s performances.
“I have to say I did think Jeremy did very well, Michael did very well as well,” she said.