Boris challenges May to drop ‘crazy’ customs partnership
TORY Eurosceptics are today expected to vent their frustration at Theresa May over the Government’s lack of clear vision for Britain’s future outside the EU.
Boris Johnson, the Foreign Secretary, last night openly challenged the Prime Minister to drop the customs partnership deal – under which the UK would collect tariffs for the EU after Brexit – saying it was a “crazy system” that would make it “very difficult to do free trade deals”.
No 10 confirmed Mrs May’s Brexit war cabinet had delayed a decision from a meeting this Thursday on whether Britain will back the customs partnership, or adopt a more lighttouch customs arrangement.
The war cabinet is split on the decision, with Mr Johnson and others favouring the latter option. The news is expected to inflame concerns among members of the influential European Research Group of 60 Eurosceptic MPS, who meet today, that Britain will never fully leave the EU.
Dozens of Brexiteer Conservative MPS, together with former Tory Cabinet ministers who are now in the House of Lords, as well as Leave donors and
supporters are expected to attend the meeting to express their concerns about the direction of Brexit.
One ERG source said: “More delay is not an encouraging sign. This is not a difficult decision to get right: one saves the Government; one wrecks the Government.
“We will hear people’s discontent with Brexit [at the meeting] – of that there is no doubt.”
Discontent is growing among Eurosceptics. Launching a volley from across the Atlantic yesterday, Mr Johnson said the idea of a customs partnership failed to meet the key test of Britain “taking back control”.
“It’s totally untried and would make it very, very difficult to do free trade deals,” he told the Daily Mail from Washington DC.
“If you have the new customs partnership, you have a crazy system whereby you end up collecting the tariffs on behalf of the EU at the UK frontier.
“If the EU decides to impose punitive tariffs on something the UK wants to bring in cheaply there’s nothing you can do. That’s not taking back control of your trade policy.”