Chequers isn’t set in stone, says Gove

Future PM can alter deal after we leave the EU, he claims

MICHAEL Gove has called on Eurosceptics to get behind Theresa May’s Chequers plan by arguing it can always be adapted after Brexit.

The Environment Secretary said that while the blueprint was ‘the right one for now’, a future prime minister would have the power to ‘alter the relationship’.

Mr Gove’s call came as Boris Johnson said: ‘We are heading full throttle for the ditch with a total write-off of Brexit.’

In his Daily Telegraph column today, the former Foreign Secretary accuses the European Union of launching an ‘attempt to annex Northern Ireland’.

But last night it was reported that Brussels was preparing to accept a frictionless Irish border using new technology to minimise checks.

Diplomatic notes seen by The Times show the EU is moving towards the idea of goods being tracked using barcodes on shipping containers, to remove the need for physical border infrastructure.

The EU has previously claimed the only feasible option to avoid the return of border controls would be customs checks on goods before they left mainland Britain.

Mrs May has faced resistance from some Brexiteers over the Chequers proposal, which caused the Cabinet resignations of Mr Johnson and David Davis. But Mr Gove, one of the leaders of the Leave campaign, urged fellow Tories to support the plan in order to secure Brexit, rather than risk an impasse in Parliament or a general election.

He admitted that the Chequers proposals forced him to compromise on some of his beliefs, but insisted the most important issue now was ensuring Britain left the EU in ‘good order’.

Asked if the plan would be permanent, Mr Gove told BBC One’s The Andrew Marr Show: ‘ Yes, but there’s one critical thing – a future prime minister could always choose to alter the relationship between Britain and the European Union.

‘But the Chequers approach is the right one for now because we have got to make sure that we respect that vote and take advantage of the opportunities of being outside the European Union.’

He said it will be up to the House of Commons in the future to ‘chart this nation’s destiny’ and decide what to do if Brussels law changes.

As EU leaders prepare to meet to discuss Brexit in Salzburg this week, Mr Gove said the onus was on Brussels to compromise.

He added: ‘I’ve compromised. I’ve been quite clear that some of the things I argued for in the referendum passionately... as a result of Chequers, I have to qualify one or two of my views. I believe the critical thing is making sure we leave in good order with a deal which safeguards the referendum mandate.’

Mr Gove’s remarks come as Tory MPs opposed to the Chequers deal plan to ramp up public opposition with a series of rallies across the country.

One event, organised by proBrexit group Leave Means Leave, will take place in Birmingham later this month while the Conservative Party conference is being held in the city. International Trade Secretary Liam Fox, who has previously put the chances of Britain leaving the EU without a deal at 60- 40, said yesterday: ‘ I do detect that there is a movement from the European Union towards getting a deal.’

‘Chequers approach is right for now’