Politics

Boris Johnson accused of pushing for re-branded No Deal Brexit in hardline speech


Boris Johnson has been accused of pushing for a “damaging” re-branded no-deal as he prepares to take a hardline stance in Brexit talks.

The PM will suggest an “Australia-style’ arrangement with Europe as an alternative if Brussels won’t back down on Britain sticking to EU rules.

Such an arrangement would effectively be a no-deal Brexit except for a few specific agreements tacked on to ensure, for example, international flights can continue.

Shadow Brexit Secretary Keir Starmer said: “When Johnson talks about an Australian-style deal, he is actually talking about no deal.

Keir Starmer is the current favourite to be the next Laboutr leader

“His proposals would create huge barriers to trade with Europe, higher prices and less money for public services.

“Johnson either doesn’t understand the damage this plan would do or he doesn’t care – or both.”

In a hardline speech in London on Monday, Mr Johnson is expected to say: “There is no need for a free trade agreement to involve accepting EU rules on competition policy, subsidies, social protection, the environment, or anything similar any more than the EU should be obliged to accept UK rules.”

He’ll add: “We have made our choice: we want a free trade agreement, similar to Canada’s but in the very unlikely event that we do not succeed, then our trade will have to be based on our existing Withdrawal Agreement with the EU.”

Boris Johnson will deliver a key speech on Monday

But he’ll deny pursuing the same course as Australia would be the same as no-deal.

Mr Johnson will say: “The question is whether we agree a trading relationship with the EU comparable to Canada’s – or more like Australia’s.

“In either case, I have no doubt that Britain will prosper. And of course our new relationship with our closest neighbours will range far beyond trade.

“We will seek a pragmatic agreement on security, protecting our citizens without trespassing on the autonomy of our respective legal systems.”

Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said any demand for Britain to adhere to EU rules and standards would go beyond ‘red lines’ in the negotiations.

“We’re not going to be aligning with EU rules, that’s not on the negotiating table, it’s not even an issue of red lines – it is not even in the negotiating room,” he told the BBC.

Dominic Raab on BBC TV’s The Andrew Marr Show

“We are entering into these negotiations with a spirit of goodwill. “

But we are just not doing that other stuff. The legislative alignment, it just ain’t happening.”

Mr Raab said the Canada-style free trade deal the UK was seeking “doesn’t involve” sticking to Brussels’ rules after the transition period ends in 2021.

He accused Brussels of trying to “shift the goalposts” since the Withdrawal Agreement and Political Declaration was signed-off last year.

Leo Varadkar has warned Boris Johnson about Brexit red lines

But Irish PM Leo Varadkar warned Mr Johnson: “Let’s not repeat the mistakes made in the past. Let’s not set such red lines, and let’s tone down the nationalistic rhetoric”.

He added: “I suppose on the issue of a court, what we’d have to agree, in my view, is some sort of mechanism to adjudicate disputes.

“It may not necessarily be the European Court of Justice, but there will have to be some sort of mechanism.”

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Meanwhile, it was reported a telegram had been sent to British diplomats abroad, urging them not to sit next to their EU counterparts at international summits.

A leaked document from Mr Raab to overseas missions urged them to “adopt a stance as a confident independent country” instead.

Shadow chancellor John McDonnell branded Number 10’s approach to future EU relations “sabre-rattling”, adding: “Well it’s a bit puerile, this thing about where ambassadors sit, absolutely puerile”.





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