Former United Kingdom Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond wrote a letter to Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Monday, asking him to disclose more information about the progress in talks with the European Union, particularly urging Johnson to say if the government took any steps to come up with alternative arrangements which would replace the Irish backstop.
Hammond noted he is writing on behalf of the Tory rebels which are prepared to support efforts to block a no-deal scenario in Parliament this week. He told Johnson that any details would be "extremely helpful" in deciding whether or not the Tories will support the bill to rule out the possibility of leaving the bloc without an agreement.
Johnson has called on the EU to remove the backstop from the existing deal but Brussels rejected his calls, noting he failed to provide concrete and viable alternative solutions. Earlier, media reported that the UK government is planning to schedule a general election for sometime in October in case the bill to block a no-deal Brexit is passed by lawmakers.
