Brexit betrayal: DUP twist knife
Johnson asks EU for extension in unsigned letter
THE Democratic Unionist Party has exacted revenge for its “betrayal” by UK Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, who last night was forced to formally request another Brexit extension from the European Union.
The Northern Ireland party landed the fatal blow that ensured Mr Johnson had no option but to request a delay to Brexit, with DUP deputy leader Nigel Dodds turning on the UK Prime Minister.
In an excoriating attack in the House of Commons, Mr Dodds accused Mr Johnson of being “weak” in his negotiations with the EU and of betraying promises made on Brexit related to the Northern Ireland.
Last night Sir Timothy Barrow, the UK Government’s envoy to the EU, sent Donald Tusk, the president of the EU Council, what was said to be an unsigned photocopied letter of request for the extension. Mr Johnson then sent a separate letter making clear he does not want a delay and is planning to put his deal before MPs in the House of Commons next week.
He also phoned European leaders last night to declare that the letter “is Parliament’s letter, not my letter”.
Mr Johnson is reported to have insisted to the EU that he is “not asking” for a “deeply corrosive” delay to Brexit.
Last night European Council President Donald Tusk announced he had received the formal request for an extension to the Brexit deadline. Mr Tusk said he will now begin the process of consulting with EU leaders on how to respond.
Last night, Mr Johnson called Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and updated him on developments in Westminster.
After Boris Johnson vowed to not seek an extension beyond the scheduled departure date of October 31 — he had said that he would rather “die in a ditch” — he was legally forced to request the extension after the DUP yesterday supported an amendment which denied him a clean vote on the new Withdrawal Agreement, in a move which delays Brexit.
In a day of high drama at the UK House of Commons, which saw Jacob Rees-Mogg and others avail of police escorts, the DUP’s 10 MPs — furious at what they regard to be an act of betrayal by Mr Johnson — cast their votes against the prime minister rather than support or abstain on an a so-called insurance policy amendment to avoid no-deal.
The DUP’s view is that the proposed new deal between the UK and EU “undermines the integrity of the Union” by placing a border in the Irish Sea, and departs from the principle of consent in the Good Friday Agreement.
The UK government lost the vote on yesterday’s amendment by 322 votes to 306.
Had the DUP supported the Conservative government, the amendment would have been defeated by four votes — and a highly anticipated ‘meaningful vote’ on the Withdrawal Agreement would then have proceeded.
The UK government then withdrew a planned ‘meaningful vote’ — but Mr Johnson immediately said he would press on “undaunted”, despite a majority of MPs backing a further delay to the process. He said his deal was not dead
and he is now expected to bring forward implementation early next week.
The DUP voted in favour of the amendment tabled by former Tory minister Oliver Letwin, which “withholds approval” for Mr Johnson’s Brexit deal until legislation implementing it has been passed. In effect, it was an “insurance policy” to ensure that Britain would not crash out of the EU without a deal on October 31 pending legislative scrutiny of the new Withdrawal Agreement.
However, furious House of Commons supporters of Brexit believe the amendment may be a ruse to block and ultimately reverse Brexit.
As developments occurred in the UK last night, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said the EU and the UK had agreed a Withdrawal Agreement deal on Thursday that “defends Ireland’s interests”. He added that the UK Commons had voted to “defer a decision” on whether or not to ratify it.
Though the delay may cause annoyance, there is nonetheless an authoritative view that the EU will accede to an extension request.
The UK prime minister may push for a brief technical extension to allow for a ‘meaningful vote’ on his deal. It remains uncertain that the deal will pass. However, should a longer extension be granted — possibly of up to three months — the possibility exists that MPs will align to attempt to force a second referendum or general election.
Before the vote yesterday Mr Johnson held last-ditch meetings with the DUP, but to no avail. “They are not in a positive place,” one UK government source said.
In the subsequent highly charged debate, DUP deputy leader Nigel Dodds confronted Mr Johnson, saying “weariness” on Brexit was “no excuse for weakness on Brexit and weakness on the Union”.
Mr Johnson sought to play down DUP concerns that Northern Ireland had been cut loose by Britain but was met with a shout of “it’s a sell out” when he spoke.
Before he left the Commons under police escort, Mr Rees-Mogg suggested that there could now be a ‘meaningful vote’ on the Withdrawal Agreement on Monday.
However, it is for the speaker of the Commons, John Bercow, to decide whether to allow that motion — and yesterday Mr Bercow gave a strong indication that he would not.
He said: “The apparent purpose of the said motion which ministers are attempting to table is to invalidate or obviate the effect of the decision which the House reached today. And that does seem most curious or irregular.”
Brexit Special, See Dan O’Brien, Colm McCarthy and Eoghan Harris,