With Boris Johnson firmly in the lead in the Tory leadership contest concerns are growing over a no deal Brexit and the drastic steps he is prepared to take to ensure the UK leaves the EU on October 31.
Mr Johnson has said this date is a 'real deadline' for leaving the EU, 'come what may'.
His pledge came after it emerged that Conservative Remain MPs, said to number more than 30, are considering legislative options to block a no deal.
Senior Tories are reportedly looking at ways to stop a prime minister from proroguing, or suspending, Parliament in order to deliver a no deal Brexit.
Jeremy Hunt has ruled out taking such a step but his rival in this contest has not.
It seems incredible that any sensible political leader would remotely contemplate taking this course of action, which would have profound implications for the democratic process.
However, the fact that it is being openly discussed as a possible move is deeply alarming and a further sign that the normal rules simply do not apply when it comes to Brexit.
It has to be recognised that Mr Johnson is honing his hard Brexit credentials in order to win the leadership and put the EU on notice that he means business.
The difficulty is that European leaders have given no indication they are willing to renegotiate Theresa May's withdrawal deal with a new prime minister.
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said yesterday there would be a 'great deal of reluctance' to grant the UK another extension unless it was for a good reason, such as a general election.
His comments come amid growing fears over the likely impact of a no deal.
A senior PSNI officer has warned that Brexit provides an opportunity for the New IRA and other dissident groups to recruit new members.
Assistant Chief Constable Tim Mairs, speaking to BBC Panorama, added that a no deal would present 'significant security concerns'.
On the same programme, the former permanent secretary at the Department for Exiting the European Union, Philip Rycroft, said 'everybody should be worried' about a no deal, saying it would be a 'step into the unknown.'
The warnings need to be taken seriously, to ignore them would be reckless and irresponsible.
