Politics 11:50 12/11/2018 World

Change Brexit course or face 'total surrender,' Boris Johnson warns

Former British foreign minister Boris Johnson called again on Sunday for Prime Minister Theresa May to change course on Brexit, accusing her of forcing through a deal to keep the country locked in the EU’s customs union in a “total surrender”.

It was the latest call by Johnson, the figurehead of Britain’s campaign to leave the European Union, for May to drop her so-called Chequers plans in favor of negotiating a clean break with the bloc and securing a Canada-style free trade deal, Reuters reports.

His comments come days after his brother, fellow Conservative lawmaker Jo Johnson, resigned as a transport minister over Brexit. Boris Johnson said he agreed with his brother that the Brexit talks were “the biggest failure of UK statecraft since Suez” when Britain lost control of the waterway in the 1950s.

“I really can’t believe it but this government seems to be on the verge of total surrender,” he wrote in his weekly column in the Telegraph newspaper.

“I want you to savor the full horror of this capitulation ... we are on the verge of signing up for something even worse than the current constitutional position. These are the terms that might be enforced on a colony.”

The Independent website reported that May has been forced to abandon plans for a cabinet meeting on Monday to approve a Brexit deal.

Johnson accused the government of being unable to negotiate a way to end unilaterally a so-called backstop arrangement, designed to prevent the return of border controls between the British province of Northern Ireland and EU member Ireland.

Such a failure would turn Britain into “a vassal state” until the bloc decided to move on to trade talks, he said.

“It is frankly hard to see why they should,” he wrote, adding that May’s Chequers plans, named after her country residence, were very much alive despite widespread criticism.

“The essence of the idea - that the UK should remain in the customs union and the single market for goods and agri-food - is what the backstop entails. And you can be absolutely sure that this idea will be at the heart of the ‘deal’ that I have no doubt the prime minister will shortly and magically secure.”



Source Panorama.am
Share |

Related news

Տեքստում սխալ կամ վրիպակ նկատելու դեպքում, ուղարկեք խմբագրին հաղորդագրություն` նշելով տվյալ սխալը, այնուհետև սեղմելով Ctrl-Enter:

Newsfeed

17:32
Opposition MP: Armenian government lacks resources to counter security threats
Opposition lawmaker Tigran Abrahamyan claims the Armenian government lacks any resources to counter the mounting security threats facing...
17:02
Putin apologizes to Aliyev over plane crash
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday apologized to Ilham Aliyev, the president of Azerbaijan, for what the Kremlin said was a...
16:43
Magnitude 4.2 quake hits Georgia, felt in Armenia
A magnitude 4.2 earthquake struck Georgia late on Saturday afternoon. The quake was 8 km northwest of the city of Dmanisi and at a...
16:13
Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan to honor fallen soldiers on New Year's Eve
Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan will visit Yerevan’s Yerablur Military Pantheon to pay tribute to fallen soldiers on New Year’s Eve....
15:36
Venice, other cities ban alcohol use on New Year’s Eve
Venice has introduced a ban on alcohol consumption on New Year’s Eve as a safety measure. It joins other cities around the world that...
15:27
Armenia's museum reserves extend working hours for holidays
During the New Year holidays on 31 December 2024 and 1-2 January 2025, the Garni Historical and Cultural Museum-Reserve will be open to the...
14:45
Armenian players show strong performances at World Rapid Chess Championship
The 2nd game day of the FIDE World Rapid Chess Championship has ended. 4 rounds were played today, the Armenian Chess Federation...
14:24
Armenian ambassador will not return to Belarus – Sputnik Armenia
Armenia has no plans to send Ambassador Razmik Khumaryan back to Belarus, sources have told Sputnik Armenia. Khumaryan was recalled to...
14:06
Armenia sees rise in hospitalizations for acute respiratory infections
Armenia has seen an increase in hospitalizations for acute respiratory viral infections, including pneumonia, prompting calls for emergency...
13:30
Armenia's deputy sports minister may resign
Armenia’s Deputy Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sports, Karen Giloyan, denies media reports suggesting that he has tendered...
13:03
Stepantsminda-Larsi road closed to trucks
The Stepantsminda-Larsi highway connecting Armenia and Russia via Georgia is currently closed to truck traffic, as reported...
12:46
FIDE disqualifies Magnus Carlsen for wearing jeans
Magnus Carlsen, the reigning world chess champion and top-ranked player, faced a disqualification from the 2024 World Rapid and Blitz Chess...
12:30
MP's comments confirm Pashinyan lying about Artsakh negotiations, expert says
Political analyst Suren Surenyants has again accused Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan of lying about the Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh)...
11:55
Armenian church commemorates James and John the Evangelist
The Armenian Apostolic Church on Saturday commemorates the Holy Apostle James and John the Evangelist. Both held prominent...
11:33
Heavy snow strands 35 vehicles in Armenia
Heavy snow on Friday caused 35 vehicles to get stuck on the roads in Armenia, the Rescue Service reported. The rescuers removed the...
11:12
US sanctions Georgian ex-prime minister
The Biden administration has imposed sanctions on the founder of Georgia’s ruling political party, which has steered the country away from...
17:05
Political analyst: Pashinyan not taken seriously by global community
Political analyst Stepan Danielyan claims that Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan is not taken seriously by the international community,...
16:35
Relatives of missing Armenian soldiers block central Yerevan avenue
Relatives of missing Armenian servicemen on Friday blocked Yerevan's central Baghramyan Avenue near the parliament...
15:51
Hayk Marutyan slams rude comments of Yerevan mayor's father
Former Yerevan Mayor Hayk Marutyan has denounced the offensive remarks about Opel drivers made by the father of the Armenian capital’s...
15:10
New Year's Eve weather forecast revealed
Wintry showers are expected in Armenia’s regions on Friday and over the weekend. Blizzards and poor visibility are likely in some...
14:34
Armenian archbishop links protest movement’s failure to organizational issues
Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan, the leader of the Holy Struggle movement, pledged to continue campaigning for a change of government in Armenia,...
13:45
Yeghishe Melikyan named Armenia's best coach of 2024
Pyunik manager Yeghishe Melikyan has been named Armenia's Coach of the Year 2024 with 92 points. The Football Federation of...
13:16
Politician: Serzh Sargsyan insisted on Artsakh peace plan disclosure back in 2022
Opposition politician Eduard Sharmazanov, a senior member of the Republican Party of Armenia (RPA), lambasted Prime Minister Nikol...
12:35
Henrikh Mkhitaryan named 2024 Footballer of the Year
Inter Milan midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan has been named Armenia's 2024 Footballer of the Year for the 12th time. He garnered 87...
12:15
Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan apologizes to supporters for his movement's unmet goals
Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan, the leader of the Holy Struggle movement, offered apologies to the people for the protest movement’s failure...
11:35
New cyclone from the Mediterranean to bring snow to Armenia
A new cyclone from the Mediterranean Sea is expected to make landfall in Armenia on Friday, bringing snowfall to several provinces across the...
11:15
Armenia's Shant Sargsyan among leaders at World Rapid Championship
The first game day of the World Rapid Chess Championship has ended. After 5 rounds, GM Shant Sargsyan has scored 4.5 points and shares...
11:00
Over 25 countries want to take part in Intervision, Lavrov says
More than 25 nations have expressed their interest in participating in the Intervision Song Contest, including Latin American countries, Russian...
17:13
Armenian church leader's New Year message not to be aired on Public TV
The annual New Year address by Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II will not be aired on the Public TV Company. The...
16:35
Expert: Artsakh leaders indicted on 1,500 counts in Azerbaijan
Artsakh’s former military and political leaders are facing charges in Azerbaijan in connection with episodes starting from 1987, Anna...

Follow us and get updates!

Most popular articles

{"core.blocks.header.spell_message1":"Selected mistake: ","core.blocks.header.spell_message2":"Send a message about the mistake?"}