The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
PM expects Johnson to remain in Cabinet
Reports that the Foreign Secretary might quit are dismissed
Theresa May is expecting Boris Johnson to remain in her Cabinet as Foreign Secretary, Downing Street has said.
The comment came after Mr Johnson dismissed reports that he might be on the verge of quitting and denied the Cabinet is split over Brexit, insisting: “We are a nest of singing birds.”
Mrs May has called a special meeting of Cabinet at Number 10 tomorrow to discuss her crunch Brexit speech in Italy the following day, which a Downing Street source said would be “a significant moment” in the process of Britain’s withdrawal from the EU.
A separate source later confirmed that Mr Johnson would attend Mrs May’s Florence address.
Mrs May and Mr Johnson are at the United Nations General Assembly in New York, but her spokesman said they had not met since the Foreign Secretary’s intervention.
Their schedules did not coincide until today, with Mr Johnson due to be in the audience for Mrs May’s formal address to the UN, and he also did not join the PM at a reception for Commonwealth leaders yesterday evening.
Asked whether she was confident that ministers at the meeting would be united behind her strategy, Mrs May told Sky News: “Yes, the Cabinet is absolutely clear about the destination we are aiming for in relation to our European negotiations.
“We want to make sure we get the best possible deal for the United Kingdom as we leave the EU.
“What we want to do is to ensure not just a good deal on trade, but also on our future security and relationship on law enforcement and criminal justice.”
Challenged over calls for Mr Johnson to face the sack, she said: “Boris is doing good work as Foreign Secretary. He has been doing that here at the United Nations.”
Speculation has been rife that Mr Johnson may resign or be sacked after an explosive article setting out his personal blueprint for Brexit overshadowed the run-up to the Florence address.
The essay sparked reports that the Cabinet is split between those like Chancellor Philip Hammond, who favour an “EEA-minus” deal similar to Switzerland’s involving payments for access to the single market, and those including Mr Johnson who prefer a “Ceta-plus” arrangement involving a simple free trade deal like Canada’s.
Asked if Mrs May thought Mr Johnson would remain in the Cabinet, the PM’s spokesman told reporters in New York: “Yes. Boris Johnson is the Foreign Secretary and, as the Prime Minister has said, he is doing a good job.”