Tory arch Brexiteer Steve Baker has said he is ready to run for his party’s leadership if MPs want him to take on the “death or glory” moment and deliver a hard Brexit.
Baker said he believed Boris Johnson, Dominic Raab and Esther McVey were all capable of delivering a “satisfactory” Brexit.
But he revealed he would consult colleagues before nominations close on Monday about whether they would prefer him and his plan for a what amounts to a so-called managed no-deal withdrawal.
He warned the Brexiteer candidates they must put a “stake in the ground” and dare Tory MPs to back leaving on October 31 come what may, or collapse the government and usher Jeremy Corbyn into Downing Street.
“In moments of death or glory you tell people what you are doing, you don’t participate”
“In moments of death or glory you tell people what you are doing, you don’t participate,” he told a Politeia event in parliament.
Baker was setting out his plans for “a clean managed Brexit”, which calls on the next PM to leave the EU on October 31, ditch Theresa May’s exit deal, and propose a series of draft treaties to Brussels to try and establish a trade relationship, while unilaterally protecting citizens rights.
Several contenders, including those Baker mentioned, have promised to leave the EU by October 31, deal or no deal.
But if enough MPs back Baker’s plan and ask him to deliver it, he will run for the leadership, he said.
Responding to a question from HuffPost UK, he said: “If we get to the opening and closing of nominations on Monday and we collectively agree that there must be somebody who’s willing to do this (the “clean managed Brexit” plans) then I will be willing to be the person who gets nominated.
“But I have to say - Esther, Dom and Boris are all three of them excellent candidates, talented people, all of them I believe capable with their own approach of in the end delivering a satisfactory exit from the European Union and indeed winning a general election - we are spoiled for choice.
“But I’m sure as a result of this stake in the ground we will have a range of conversations over thee next few days and I will find myself in the hands of my colleagues.
“But if you are asking if: am I decided? That if they ask me to do it, I will? You bet.”
A failure to stare down MPs and deliver the hard Brexiteers’ version of Brexit would “finish” the Tory party, he added.
Baker, the vice chair of the Tory backbench European Research Group (ERG), said: “This is a time to look ruthlessly at the facts - a withdrawal agreement which is closed and cannot be rescued - to look clearly at what is right in the world, to put a stake in the ground and say ‘we’re going to do that, and you must come with me because if you don’t come with me the Conservative party will be finished’.
“They will be unable to govern the United Kingdom and the alternative to it are Marxists who want to steal your property, take your house - look at their proposals for tax - and ruin you.”
Following the event, McVey said Baker’s proposals were “spot on”.
“The withdrawal agreement is dead and only a clean Brexit on 31 October will deliver the referendum result and ensure we don’t fatally wound our party and allow Jeremy Corbyn to become prime minister.
“The EU has repeatedly said it won’t re-negotiate the WA and Parliament has resoundingly rejected the withdrawal agreement three times.
“So let’s stop wasting time having artificial debates about re-negotiating backstops or resurrecting botched deals, let’s keep hold of our £39bn and let’s actively embrace leaving the EU without a deal.”
Appearing alongside Baker, senior Tory Sir Bernard Jenkin called on a new leader to make a “big, bold offer” as soon as they enter Downing Street for a “big, positive, phenomenal” trade relationship.
But if it is rejected, no deal would be nothing to fear, he said.
“Could it possibly be as bad as the winter of discontent? Well, obviously not.
“Could it be as bad as the banking crisis in 2008? Or could it possibly inflict the damage we saw inflicted on some countries by the eurozone crisis.
“What will happen if we leave without a withdrawal agreement? We will take it in our stride.”