Johnson: Britain must fire up its ‘sense of mission’
Veiled attack on Hammond over ‘pessimism’ about Irish border
BORIS JOHNSON has insisted Britain can leave the EU with a deal by Oct 31 if the country rediscovers its “sense of mission”, ahead of his expected coronation as Tory leader tomorrow.
The front-runner to succeed Theresa May said that if man could find a way to get to the Moon and back 50 years ago, “we certainly have the technology” to solve the Northern Irish border problem – the one thing thought to stand in the way of a Brexit deal.
Writing in today’s Daily Telegraph, he says: “It is time this country recovered some of its can-do spirit.
“We can come out of the EU on Oct 31, and yes, we certainly have the technology to do so. What we need now is the will and the drive.”
He railed against “pessimists”, in comments which appeared to be aimed squarely at Philip Hammond, the Chancellor, who said yesterday that it was impossible to thrash out a deal in time, and again made it clear he would stop at nothing to prevent Mr Johnson pursuing a no-deal Brexit.
If, as expected, Mr Johnson wins the Tory leadership race, he will waste no time in contacting EU leaders to begin talks, and could invite Jean-claude Juncker, the president of the European Commission, to Chequers this weekend.
The scale of the challenge became clear as Simon Coveney, Ireland’s foreign minister, said the EU was “simply not going to move away” from the existing Brexit deal and the backstop.
Even before he has a chance to enter into talks, Mr Johnson could face an attempt to kill off his premiership after several Tory MPS began discussions with the Liberal Democrats about ways of stopping him, such as joining an Opposition no-confidence vote.
Mr Johnson is thought to be preparing a speech for delivery outside No 10 at 5pm on Wednesday if he wins the contest, and is close to finalising a Cabinet. Mr Hammond and David Gauke, the Justice Secretary, confirmed they will both resign to Mrs May before Mr Johnson has a chance to sack them.
Mr Hammond said yesterday that “you cannot get a deal by Oct 31” and that the only way forward was a “technical extension” beyond that deadline.
However, Mr Johnson said the only thing preventing a deal being done in time was pessimism. As the world commemorates the Apollo 11 Moon landing in July 1969, he said leaving the EU with a deal is, like getting to the Moon, a “technical and logistical” problem.
The answer, he said, was to carry out checks away from the Irish border, and there was “abundant scope” for Britain and the EU to find a solution that would negate the need for the backstop.
He said: “I am afraid that there are technological pessimists – some of them
‘There are few tasks so complex that humanity cannot solve if we have a real sense of mission’
apparently in London – who seem genuinely to think such technical solutions are impossible, that they are a kind of logical contradiction, a mythological species that we will never see in this universe. Are they right? Of course not… it is absurd that we have even allowed ourselves to be momentarily delayed by these technical issues.
“If they [Nasa] could use hand-knitted computer code to make a frictionless re-entry to the Earth’s atmosphere in 1969, we can solve the problem of frictionless trade at the Irish border.
“There is no task so simple that government cannot overcomplicate if it doesn’t want to do it. And there are few tasks so complex that humanity cannot solve if we have a real sense of mission to pull them off.”
Several EU countries, including Ireland, Germany, France, Belgium and the Netherlands have already started back-channel talks with Mr Johnson’s team in the hope a no-deal Brexit can be avoided. Mr Coveney, however, said a change at No10 would not change the “facts around Brexit”.
He said: “If the approach of the new prime minister is that they’re going to tear up the Withdrawal Agreement, then I think we’re in trouble. I think we’re all in trouble, quite frankly ... that ’s a little bit like saying ‘give me what I want or I’m going to burn the house down for everybody’.”
He said: “If the House of Commons chooses to facilitate a no-deal Brexit and if a new prime minister chooses to take Britain in that direction, then it will happen. But this will be a British choice. Not an Irish choice, not an EU choice ...”
Diplomats from France, Germany and the Netherlands have made clear that they are ready to meet Mr Johnson early, before the G7 meeting in Biarritz on Aug 24-26.
Mr Johnson has yet to decide where to go for his first official trip outside London, which could happen as early as this Friday.
Senior Whitehall sources indicated that the most likely choices would be a domestic, policy-based visit in England or a whistle-stop tour of Belfast, Cardiff and Edinburgh to send a signal that the Union is paramount.
A trip to Dublin is deemed “risky”, sources said, given Mr Johnson’s hardline position on the backstop during the leadership campaign.
One other alternative being discussed is whether he should avoid an early “make-or-break” trip to Brussels, preferring instead to entertain Mr Juncker in Downing Street or at Chequers, the prime ministerial country retreat.
Mr Johnson is also expected to make an early trip to Washington to meet President Donald Trump, but sources indicated this would come after meetings EU leaders.
PHILIP HAMMOND will resign three hours before Boris Johnson becomes prime minister in a clear sign of how much trouble he intends to cause from the back benches.
The Chancellor announced live on television yesterday that he will hand his resignation to Theresa May on Wednesday afternoon if, as expected, Mr Johnson is confirmed as Tory leader tomorrow.
He will be followed by other ministers including David Gauke and Rory Stewart who said they could not serve in a Johnson Cabinet, and will join Mr Hammond in plotting against Mr Johnson from the minute he enters No10.
Several Tory MPS, including Dominic Grieve, the former attorney general, are understood to be considering resigning the Tory whip if Mr Johnson becomes prime minister, instantly depriving him of his working majority and making it difficult for him to govern.
Some are even said to be prepared to topple a Johnson government by voting with Labour in a confidence vote, in order to prevent a no-deal Brexit.
Mr Hammond’s disclosure on the BBC’S The Andrew Marr Show served as a stark warning of the Tory infighting that lies ahead for Mr Johnson if he becomes prime minister and pursues his pledge of taking Britain out of the EU on Oct 31 with or without a deal.
Mr Hammond was asked whether he expected to be sacked this week and said: “No, I’m sure I’m not going to be sacked because I’m going to resign before we get to that point, assuming that Boris Johnson becomes the next prime minister.
“I understand that his conditions for serving in his government would include accepting a no-deal exit on the 31st of October. That is not something I could ever sign up to.
“It’s very important that a prime minister is able to have a chancellor who is closely aligned with him in terms of policy and I therefore intend to resign to Theresa May before she goes to the Palace to tender her own resignation on Wednesday.”
Mr Hammond said he would resign after Mrs May takes her last Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday, meaning he will quit between 1pm and 3pm. Mr Johnson is expected to be invited to the Palace at 4pm to be asked to form a government.
He added: “All the polling, all the bookmakers suggest that Boris Johnson will win, the question is by how much. I think that is what is likely to happen and I’m making my plans accordingly, but of course I’ll wait until Tuesday to see for sure.”
Mr Hammond said it was not possible to reach a new Brexit deal with the EU before
‘Conditions for serving in his government would include accepting a no-deal exit on the 31st of October. That is not something I could ever sign up to’
Oct 31 because there were not enough working days left, so the new prime minister should accept the offer from Brussels of a “technical extension” beyond October.
The Chancellor, who rebelled against the Government in a vote last week that makes it harder to achieve a no-deal Brexit, confirmed The Daily Telegraph’s disclosure that he had texted colleagues to encourage them to do the same.
He denied he would become “Phil Guevara” on the backbenches but refused to deny that he could vote against the government in a vote of confidence as a last resort to stop no-deal.
Other Europhile Tory MPS, including Sam Gyimah, the former education minister, refused to rule out voting to topple a Johnson government.
Some are prepared to go further, with up to six reportedly considering joining the Lib Dems if Mr Johnson becomes prime minister.
They are understood to include Margot James, who resigned as a culture minister last week to vote against the Government in the anti no-deal vote. She said she was not preparing to join the Lib Dems “at the moment”.
The Government’s working majority currently stands at four, meaning it would be erased if just two MPS defected to another party.
Others, including Mr Grieve, have threatened to resign the party whip and sit as independents if Mr Johnson enters No 10.
Up to 30 Tory peers are also said to be considering resigning the party whip.
The plotting within the Tory party has now become so intense that there are even reports of a cross-party group of MPS and peers holding discussions about installing a government of national unity if Mr Johnson tries to force through a no-deal Brexit.
If Mr Johnson were to lose a no-confidence vote it would give others a 14day window to form an alternative government without the need for a general election. Philip Hammond and Sir Keir Starmer, the shadow Brexit secretary, are said to be their preferred choices as prime minister.
Mr Gauke, who has lent his name to the so-called “Gaukeward squad” of Remain-voting Cabinet ministers who will fight Mr Johnson from the back benches, confirmed yesterday that he will resign on Wednesday if Mr Johnson wins the leadership contest, but ruled out voting with Labour in a no-confidence vote.
Mr Hammond said a no-deal Brexit was only possible with Parliament’s consent: “This is a parliamentary democracy and if the new prime minister can persuade Parliament to vote for a no-deal exit, then I will have to accept that. But we can’t have wheezes like suspending parliament or proroguing parliament in order to deny Parliament its voice. This matter must be decided
in Parliament.”