Boris: I’ll do an Incredible Hulk to escape the EU
BORIS Johnson today tells Brussels that Britain will break out of its ‘manacles’ like The Incredible Hulk if a Brexit deal cannot be done by October 31.
In an exclusive interview with The Mail on Sunday, the Prime Minister says that if negotiations break down, he will ignore the Commons vote ordering him to delay the UK’s departure, adding: ‘The madder Hulk gets, the stronger Hulk gets.’
His declaration comes ahead of a crunch meeting tomorrow with European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker.
There has been optimism that negotiations with the EU are nearing a breakthrough.
Mr Johnson reports ‘real signs of movement’ in Berlin, Paris and Dublin over ditching the backstop that would tie the UK or Northern Ireland to EU rules – the issue which proved fatal to Theresa May’s deal.
‘We will get there,’ he said. ‘I will be talking to Jean-Claude about how we’re going to do it.
‘I’m very confident. When I got this job everybody was saying there can be absolutely no change to the Withdrawal Agreement, the backstop was immutable, the arrangements by which the UK was kept locked in to the EU for ever, they said no one could change that.
‘They have already moved off that and, as you know, there’s a very, very good conversation going on about how to address the issues of the Northern Irish border. A huge amount of progress is being made.’ If he fails to strike a deal, Mr Johnson is adamant that he will not obey Parliament’s order to ask the EU to extend Article 50.
He has said he would rather ‘die in a ditch’ than do so.
No 10 strategists say they have devised a secret plan, known only to the PM and three key advisers, which they claim will allow them to ignore the order without breaking the law – although most legal experts doubt such a ruse could work.
Mr Johnson’s remarks come after a torrid fortnight for the Government during which he stripped the whip from 21 of his own MPs for voting for the ‘surrender Bill’ and suffered the resignations of his brother Jo Johnson, who was Universities Minister, and Pensions Secretary Amber Rudd. Last week, the Court of Session in Edinburgh ruled his suspension of Parliament was illegal. In other developments last night:
The UK’s chief negotiator David Frost has drafted a new legal text to give to Brussels;
David Cameron was hit by a fierce backlash over his memoirs in which he criticised Mr Johnson and Michael Gove for their conduct during the referendum campaign;
Labour’s Shadow Brexit Secretary Keir Starmer was plotting to be caretaker Prime Minister if the Johnson Government falls next month – rather than Jeremy Corbyn;
Whitehall sources said they suspected Mr Johnson plans to prorogue Parliament for a second time next month;
Mr Johnson said he was confident the Supreme Court would overturn the Edinburgh court’s decision;
The Prime Minister revealed how 6am walks with his dog help him to deal with stresses.
Mr Johnson will travel to Luxembourg tomorrow to meet Mr Juncker. Last night, he said: ‘Don’t be fooled by Corbyn and the Remain ringleaders. I am straining to get a deal, but I will take us out on October 31.’
A No 10 source said: ‘Parliament has failed the country.
‘All MPs can agree on is one delay after another.’
‘I’m very confident... there is progress’