PM shoots down ‘better Brexit’ blueprint as she insists a deal is imminent
THERESA MAY has launched a direct attack on Boris Johnson’s alternative Brexit vision as government sources said it would “guarantee no deal and put jobs at risk”.
On the eve of the Conservative Party conference, Mrs May insisted “the right deal is close” as she refused to bow to Mr Johnson’s demands for a Canada-style deal as a Brexit plan B.
Downing Street pointed out that Mr Johnson, who has called on Mrs May to rip up the “backstop” agreement for Northern Ireland, was a member of the Cabinet that agreed the backstop in December.
But allies of Mr Johnson hit back by suggesting the Cabinet had been lied to by Mrs May’s senior staff.
It came as Mr Johnson refused to rule out challenging Mrs May’s leadership and MPS said there was a “50/50 chance” she would be ousted this year if she refuses to change tack on Brexit.
Yesterday Mr Johnson set out his vision for a “better Brexit” in an essay for The Daily Telegraph, in which he advocated a “Super Canada” free trade agreement with the EU. He said Mrs May should scrap the backstop agreement she made with Brussels in December, which would have placed a customs border between Northern Ireland and the rest of Britain if no other arrangements could be agreed.
But in a stinging riposte, a Government source said: “Boris was a member of the Cabinet that agreed the December Joint Report – and praised the PM for doing so – and was part of the committee that agreed the customs backstop. The truth is that reneging on those two things would simply guarantee no deal.” Chris Heatonharris, the Brexit minister, also weighed in, saying: “This is not a workable or negotiable plan for Brexit.”
An ally of Mr Johnson hit back by saying that Mr Johnson and other ministers concerned about the backstop were given “direct assurances” by Gavin Barwell, the Prime Minister’s chief of staff, and Robbie Gibb, director of communications, “that the December agreement categorically did not mean what is now claimed”. Ministers were allegedly told that an agreement to maintain “full alignment” with single market rules only meant “approximation, not harmonisation”, only for Mrs May to agree that there must be a common rule book on goods. The source added: “The truth is that either No 10 was conned by the EU or made false promises to Cabinet ministers.”
Mr Johnson was asked four times to rule out a leadership bid in an interview with the BBC, and repeatedly avoided answering the question.
He denied that his latest intervention in the Brexit debate was “really about your own ambition” and said the Prime Minister “will go on for as long as she feels it necessary”.
Eurosceptic Tory MPS believe there is now a 50 per cent chance that Mrs May will be forced out if she stubbornly sticks to her Chequers plan.
Last night Jeremy Hunt, the Foreign Secretary, appeared to distance himself from Mr Johnson’s plan as he told The Times it was “completely wrong to start talking about alternatives when we’ve got a very comprehensive, practical, sensible set of proposals on the table”. He also expressed concerns that a Canada-style deal would result in “breaking up the UK”.