LONDON - Michael Gove, one of the leading contenders to replace British Prime Minister Theresa May, said rushing into a no-deal Brexit could trigger a national election that would surely propel Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn to power.
The Brexit crisis that has engulfed British politics for three years has deepened with the impending departure of May, who was unable to get parliamentary approval for the withdrawal deal she had negotiated with Brussels.
"Would it really be in our best interests to opt for a no-deal exit when just a little more time and effort could make all the difference?" Gove said in an article in the Daily Mail newspaper.
He said to rush into a no-deal exit would lead to a Labour government propped up by the Scottish National Party which wants another referendum on Scottish independence.
"That would surely hand Downing Street to a Jeremy Corbyn government propped up by Nicola Sturgeon and the SNP. That would mean Brexit was lost, the future of our Union at risk and the levers of power handed to a Marxist."