Boris Johnson has pledged to “retain” the £39 billion demanded by the European Union until he gets a better deal saying only he can save the country from Nigel Farage and Jeremy Corbyn.
In the first interviews of his campaign, the leadership front runner said he would combine a tough line on Brexit with a return to One Nation Tory policies at home.
Johnson vowed to run the country as he ran London when he was mayor with a “team of stars” in his cabinet and Downing Street enacting policies “for the least well off”.
But he warned that the Conservative Party’s survival depended on leaving with or without a deal on October 31.
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Referring to sea monster from Greek mythology, Johnson said: “I truly believe that only I can steer the country between the Scylla and Charibdis or Corbyn and Farage and into calmer water. This can only be achieved by delivering Brexit as promised on October 31 and delivering a One Nation Tory agenda.”
Johnson spoke out as the race for No 10 erupted in claims of dirty tricks after Michael Gove – Johnson’s biggest rival – was forced to confess he had used cocaine.
Two friends of the environment secretary blamed one of Gove’s former aides, Beth Armstrong, who is now working on the leadership campaign of fellow Brexiteer Dominic Raab, for leaking the story, which appears in the new biography of Gove – a claim she denies.
Gove confessed to his closes aides in 2016 that he had snorted cocaine “on several social occasions” 20 years ago.
Armstrong was one of just six people present and is the only one no longer working for Gove.
Las night FBI and the US Drug Enforcement Agency officials warned Mr Gove that his confession could see him banned from travelling to the United States because he is in breach of visa rules that question whether visitors “ever violated any law relating to the possessing, using or distributing illegal drugs”.
Experts said he could be barred from American travel for life for taking drugs as he has now admitted or for previously lying about it on a visa or Esta (electronic system for travel authorisation) form.
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Mr Raab’s camp has strongly denied being involved in dirty tricks. Andrea Leadsom also confessed she “smoked weed at university”.
Mr Johnson also said he would hold onto the £39 billion Brexit divorce payment until Brussels agreed to more favourable terms. He would also:
- Scrap the Northern Ireland backstop and settle the Irish border issue only when the EU was ready to agree to a future relationship.
- Change the Brexit negotiating team to put ministers in charge – code from removing civil servant Oliver Robbins.
- Guarantee the rights of the 3.2 million EU citizens living in the UK.
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Johnson said: “I think our friends and partners need to understand that the money is going to be retained until such time as we have greater clarity about the way forward.
“I always thought it was extraordinary that we should agree to write that entire cheque before having a final deal. In getting a good deal, money is a great solvent and great lubricant.”
