Brexit Party MEP would refuse to pay taxes or obey laws passed under a unity government

Lucy Harris, who is MEP for Yorkshire and the Humber, tweeted the remark after opposition parties emerged from talks and said they would be considering numerous options to prevent a no-deal Brexit, including what Jo Swinson termed an “insurance option” of a government of national unity.

But according to Harris, this governance would be “illegitimate”.

Her tweet said: “I will be withholding all tax contributions and encouraging the public to do so if this came to pass, I will also be ignoring all laws passed under their illegitimate governance.

“No taxation without representation.”

Her tweet has been retweeted more than 2,100 times and liked more than 6,100 times, with many people applauding her recommendations.

But the tweet has also attracted considerable critical comment.

“No you wont,” said Jo Maugham, the lawyer whose Good Law Project funded Gina Miller and Joanna Cherry’s successful Supreme Court challenge to the government.

“No taxation without representation! I agree,” said Twitter user ‘Steve Brexit’. “Referendum completely illegitimate as it excluded tax-paying EU citizens. Should be voided.”

Simon A Ball observed that “this is going to get very dangerous very quickly”.

Derek Rocholl said: “O level politics question for Lucy Harris – if there are 650 MPs in parliament and one party has less than 326 MPs and insufficient support from other parties to reach that number do they represent a majority of constituencies in the UK?”

“This is a coup,” said Daniel Bissett, inaccurately. “It’s a disgrace that our ELECTED government can be pushed aside because of these cretins,” he added, also inaccurately.

The New European has contacted Harris for comment.