BREXIT ENDGAME
Johnson mulls purge of rebels and snap election Barnier vows that he will not ditch backstop
THE EU’s chief Brexit negotiator today declares that he will not scrap the Irish backstop, as Boris Johnson considers ousting Tory MPs who undermine his attempts to secure a new deal with Brussels.
Writing in The Sunday Telegraph,
Michel Barnier insists that the controversial insurance plan for the Irish border represents the “maximum flexibility” that Brussels can offer, and says that any solution to the current impasse must be “compatible with the Withdrawal Agreement” previously agreed with Theresa May.
He also hits back against Mr Johnson’s claims that a no-deal exit would be the fault of the EU, saying he would be “surprised” if the public “succumb to the idea that the EU is to blame for a difficult political situation in the UK”.
Mr Barnier’s comments appear to fly in the face of Mr Johnson’s optimism that EU leaders “want this thing done”, after Angela Merkel, the German chancellor, and Emmanuel Macron, the French president, expressed a willingness to discuss alternatives to the plan described by the Prime Minister as “anti-democratic”. Mr Barnier says he would only start to negotiate “alternative arrangements” to the backstop if the current agreement was passed by Britain’s Parliament.
His intervention comes as Mr Johnson prepares for a showdown tomorrow with former ministers, including Philip Hammond and David Gauke, leading a campaign to block a no-deal exit from the EU on Oct 31.
Downing Street is considering possible sanctions against Tory MPs who join efforts to seize control of the Commons agenda this week – including deselecting those who support the move. Such a radical step would leave the rebels unable to stand as Conservative candidates.
The measure would be likely to result in an October general election, held before Brexit, as it would be likely to leave the Conservatives without a majority, even with the support of the Democratic Unionist Party.
Mr Johnson could then field supporters of his plans as parliamentary candidates in place of the rebels.
Also writing in this newspaper, Michael Gove, the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, warns that removing the option for the UK to walk away on Oct 31 will “diminish” the “chances of securing changes” to Mrs May’s deal that can make the agreement acceptable to Parliament.
A cohort of Tory MPs is considering backing a move on Tuesday by Sir Oliver Letwin, a former minister, to seize control of parliamentary business with the intention of forcing Mr Johnson to prolong the UK’s membership of the EU and thus avoid a no-deal Brexit on Hallowe’en.
Mr Barnier’s article, which appears to contradict Downing Street’s claims that it is making progress over its demands for the EU to scrap the backstop, is likely to be seen as an attempt to influence this week’s votes. Tomorrow, Mr Hammond, Mr Gauke and other former ministers are expected to demand that Mr Johnson show “evidence” of progress in his negotiations with the EU, as he tries to convince them not to back Sir Oliver’s plan.
Mr Barnier writes: “I am not optimistic about avoiding a no-deal scenario, but we should all continue to work with determination. The EU is ready to explore all avenues that the UK government may present and that are compatible with the Withdrawal Agreement.
“Its objective is simply to have an in
surance policy in place that guarantees that the border between Ireland and Northern Ireland remains fully open, and that the status quo of cross-border exchanges on the island of Ireland is maintained,” he said.
On Aug 22, following a meeting with Mr Johnson, Mr Macron suggested that the Withdrawal Agreement could be changed, albeit without a “total reshuffling”.
Mr Barnier adds: “On the EU side, we had intense discussions with EU member states on the need to guarantee the integrity of the EU’s single market, while keeping that border fully open. In this sense, the backstop is the maximum amount of flexibility that the EU can offer to a non-member state.
“Why? Because the backstop provides Northern Ireland with the economic benefits of the single market for goods, which the EU is exceptionally willing to offer due to the unique circumstances on the island of Ireland.”
Mr Gove insists in a separate article in this newspaper that Mr Johnson’s pledge to deliver Brexit on Oct 31 “do or die” is “helping us to secure a solution”.
Today, he launches one of the country’s biggest-ever public information campaigns, aimed at preparing the UK for a no-deal exit.
Yesterday, Mr Hammond said it would be “staggeringly hypocritical” of Mr Johnson to deselect rebels, given that “eight members of the current Cabinet have defied the party whip this year”.
Meanwhile, Suella Braverman, who is now co-chairing a panel to find alternatives to the current Irish border plan, joins Brexiteers who state that simply dropping the backstop will not be enough to win their support.