Johnson tells PM: ‘Stop dithering’

BORIS Johnson has called on Theresa May to stop “dithering” and tell the EU that Britain will not accept the controversial backstop arrangement designed to avoid a hard border in Ireland.

The former foreign secretary dismissed calls for the Prime Minister to rule out a no-deal Brexit, insisting it was “overwhelmingly likely” Brussels will offer an improved agreement following the crushing defeat of Mrs May’s plan in Parliament.

Speaking as Mrs May continued intensive discussions to draw up a Plan B to be unveiled on Monday, Mr Johnson insisted that the UK must go ahead with EU withdrawal on March 29, insisting it would be “shameful” to seek to delay Brexit by asking for an extension of the Article 50 negotiation process.

The Prime Minister was meeting Cabinet ministers individually and in groups at 10 Downing Street to discuss talks she has held over the past two days with opposition party leaders and MPs from all sides of the Brexit debate.

After surviving a no-confidence vote in the Commons on Wednesday, Mrs May spoke with all party leaders except Jeremy Corbyn, who snubbed the talks because the PM refused to rule out no deal.

She also spoke by phone on Thursday evening with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte.

A spokesman for the European Commission said that president Jean-Claude Juncker expected to speak to Mrs May, at her request, yesterday afternoon.

Following reports of civil servants being asked to draw up contingency plans for an early general election, a Downing Street spokeswoman said that Mrs May was ruling out a snap poll.

Mr Johnson declined to say whether he would back Mrs May to lead the Tories into an election if one was called.

Answering questions following a speech at JCB headquarters in Staffordshire, which was widely seen as a leadership pitch, Mr Johnson said: “I think most people in this country feel they have had quite enough elections... a snap election is not the right way through.”

The former figurehead of the Vote Leave campaign sought to distance himself from controversial adverts about immigration from Turkey during the 2016 campaign. Vote Leave adverts posted widely on social media stated that “Turkey (population 76m) is joining the EU” and “Britain’s new border is with Syria and Iraq”. Some included maps with large red arrows pointing towards the UK. But Mr Johnson insisted: “I didn’t say anything about Turkey in the referendum... Since I made no remarks, I can’t disown them.”

He said he had always made clear that immigration “can be a wonderful thing”, so long as it is “controlled”.

Mr Johnson called on the Government to “fire up the engines, stop dithering, emulate the spirit of JCB and remove from our path the backstop that is the last Brussels-built blockage in the path of a global Britain”.