Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson compares Theresa May’s Brexit plan to a ‘TURD’ in furious rant
Boris Johnson has bluntly told the PM that anyone trying to defend proposal will find it 'like polishing a turd'
BORIS Johnson has branded Theresa May’s soft Brexit plan “an absolute stinker” that will turn off voters.
The Foreign Secretary warned the PM at her Chequers EU exit summit she will have a tough time trying to sell it to a doubting nation.
And he told her bluntly: “Anyone defending the proposal we have just agreed will find it like trying to polish a turd. Luckily, we have some expert turd-polishers in this government.”
His colourful outburst came as he caved in to Mrs May’s demand to get behind her blueprint for a soft Brexit.
Boris threw in the towel after a 12-hour battle to reshape the proposal, which will tie Britain to a swathe of EU rules.
But he could barely disguise his disappointment at signing up to a Remainer-inspired deal.
He said: “It’s been a tough day for a Brexiteer.”
He led the charge by Eurosceptic ministers to toughen the list of demands to be presented at exit talks in Brussels on July 16.
One who was present said: “They all put up a brave fight but they were outnumbered and worn down during a long, hard day.
“In the end, their resistance just fizzled out and they signed up to the package.”
Work and Pensions Secretary Esther McVey argued passionately for a much harder starting position.
She was backed by Commons leader Andrea Leadsom and Aid Secretary Penny Mordaunt. But their resistance weakened when Environment Secretary Michael Gove agreed to the PM’s plan.
The summit’s mood lightened as, one by one, the Brexiteers were picked off.
One minister even pulled out a family pack of Haribo Supermix and passed it around the debating table.
When they reached Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt, who has just launched a drive to tackle child obesity, he told colleagues: “I should take these off you.”
Boris had warned that taking rules from Brussels while having no say inside the EU would reduce Britain to a colony of a European superstate. He is reported to have said: “It would reduce us to a vassal state.
“We’ve been blaming many of our problems over the past 30 years on EU-imposed legislation. We are now saying we need to keep all these regulations as they are vital to our economic health.”
But other ministers teamed up to convince him that while he might not like this version of Brexit, it is better than that on offer from a Remain-supporting Parliament.
An insider said: “It was a bit like a hung jury where two or three are holding out against the majority.
“It finally dawned on Boris and others that they could stay up all night arguing but in the end the only two options would be to sign up to Theresa’s plan or resign.”
The Sun Says
IT says something about how poorly Brexit has been managed that just being able to tell Brussels what we want is considerable progress.
The Government’s failure to plan for “no deal” and the PM’s dithering has forced us into doing a lot of the EU’s work for them, watering down a genuinely clean Brexit into an unambitious fudge.
But we have now, finally, put the ball in Brussels’ court. And we’re only at the start of what will be no doubt stormy negotiations for months to come.
There remain serious questions about not just the compromise that Theresa May has forced on her Cabinet but on the final deal she plans to sign with Brussels.
One, does it genuinely give us the ability to sign free trade deals across the rest of the world, strengthening our links with emerging markets and with the Commonwealth?
Two, does it genuinely end freedom of movement, or does the woolly language in Downing Street’s statement still give people the chance to come here on the off-chance they might find a job?
Three, can a future Government genuinely seek to diverge further away from the EU in certain areas without Brussels blowing the whole deal up, or charging us a king’s ransom to do so?
If the answer to any of those is no, then the Prime Minister will never be forgiven.
Not by her party and, as we report today, not by the public either.
After the battle the tiny pile of taxi cards left in the hallway for anyone prepared to give up their ministerial car and resign was still intact.
With the Cabinet united behind a plan, Mrs May said that she would now take the fight to Brussels.
But she warned ministers infighting must stop and told allies she will not hesitate to sack Boris if he undermines her.
Party risks a wipeout at the polls
THERESA May faces electoral wipeout by pressing ahead with a soft Brexit, a poll found.
A third of Tory voters would be less likely to back the party if an EU agreement limited our ability to strike new trade deals, the survey by Change Britain found.
Eight in ten don’t want Mrs May to delay the implementation period beyond 2020.
By Ryan Sabey
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