Johnson ‘making it up as he goes along’ on Brexit

CRITICISM: First minister accuses PM of being ‘reckless’ in his approach

“Reckless” Boris Johnson is “making up” his Brexit policy as he goes along, Scotland’s first minister has insisted.

Nicola Sturgeon hit out at the PM after he conceded that reaching an agreement for the UK to leave the European Union by October 31 was now “touch and go”.

The Conservative leader had previously insisted it was a “millionto-one chance” that the UK would be forced into a no-deal Brexit.

With Holyrood set to pass a motion making clear that the UK “should in no circumstances leave the EU on a no-deal basis” next week, Ms Sturgeon hit out at the prime minister, claiming he is “behaving in a kind of carefree, shrug of the shoulders, reckless manner”.

The first minister told PA Scotland: “He’s gone in the matter of a few weeks from saying that a no-deal Brexit in his view was a million-to-one chance, to now saying it’s touch and go which suggest to me he’s making it up as he goes along.

“That’s not acceptable because the consequences of this are so serious for our economy, for our society, for the livelihoods and living standards of people the length and breadth of the UK that that’s just not good enough. “

She added: “The House of Commons returns to session next week and the SNP MPs will be working hard with other parties to find whatever way we can of stopping no deal in its tracks because that would be catastrophic.”

In addition to this Holyrood will next week step up its opposition to a no-deal Brexit when MSPs return from the summer recess.

Scottish Greens and Liberal Democrat MSPs have already signalled they will support the government’s motion on this, stating “the Scottish Parliament agrees the UK should in no circumstances leave the EU on a no-deal basis”, ensuring that this will pass.

It comes after Mr Johnson, who has pledged to take Britain out of the EU by October 21 “do or die”, held a series of talks with key European leaders.

The PM used the G7 summit in Biarritz to hold talks with European Council president Donald Tusk, following a round of diplomacy which saw him meet Germany’s Angela Merkel and France’s Emmanuel Macron.

And following those discussions he refused to repeat his previous assertion that the odds of a no-deal outcome were a million to one.

Picture: Getty. First Minister Nicola Sturgeon during a visit to the School of Engineering at Glasgow University.