- Boris Johnson has been in Dublin today for his first talks as Prime Minister with Irish counterpart Leo Varadkar
- The PM conceded No Deal at Halloween would be a bad outcome for both sides and a ‘failure of statecraft’
- He said he had ‘abundance’ of proposals for breaking deadlock but Mr Varadkar said they were not ‘realistic’
- Mr Johnson said an agreement possible by October 18 before rebel legislation forcing Brexit delay is triggered
Boris Johnson today insisted he is still determined to get a Brexit deal as he held crucial talks with his Irish counterpart in Dublin.
The Prime Minister conceded that No Deal would be a bad outcome for both sides, saying it would amount to a ‘failure of statecraft’ and politicians would be ‘responsible’.
But he again insisted that the UK would be leaving the EU by October 31 come what may, saying failure to do so would cause ‘permanent damage’ to democracy.
He told a joint press conference he was ‘undaunted’ by mounting opposition to his stance in Parliament and there had to be a ‘way out’ of the backstop for the UK.
He also claimed there was the ‘ideal’ amount of time to get an agreement – seemingly setting a new deadline of October 18, the day before Remainer rebel legislation is due to for an extension, to get a package in place.
However, Mr Varadkar today swiped that the UK has no ‘realistic’ plan for replacing the insurance policy for the Irish border. ‘No backstop is No Deal,’ he warned.
Mr Varadkar said that there was no such thing as a ‘clean break’ Brexit and issues will not end if the PM manages to force the UK out at the end of October.
He said Mr Johnson faced a ‘Herculean’ task to get a comprehensive trade deal, and it would be worse if there was no divorce package.
Speaking alongside Leo Varadkar in Dublin today, Boris Johnson (left) conceded that No Deal would be a bad outcome for both sides, saying it would amount to a ‘failure of statecraft’ and politicians would be ‘responsible’
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar held a joint press conference with Boris Johnson in Dublin today as the Brexit crisis escalates
Mr Varadkar warned that the Brexit issues will not end if the PM forces through a damaging No Deal at the end of October
The spat comes on another extraordinary day of political manoeuvring which has seen:
- A former judge saying the courts could order the civil service to beg the EU for a Brexit extension if the PM refuses to abide by rebel legislation;
- Nigel Farage says his Brexit Party will not run candidates against Tory Eurosceptics who back a ‘clean break’ from the EU at a looming general election;
- Conservative Brexiteers suggested Mr Johnson could be a ‘martyr for democracy’ if he defied the law and faced action in the courts;
- Another Tory rebel, former minister Richard Benyon, announced he is standing down from Parliament after being stripped of the party whip;
The PM is desperately scrabbling for a way of honouring his ‘do or die’ pledge to get Brexit done by October 31, after being cornered by an alliance of Labour, the Lib Dems, SNP and Tory rebels.
They have passed a Bill – which will formally be placed on the statute book today – ordering him to beg the EU for an extension if no agreement has been agreed by October 19.
Meanwhile, Jeremy Corbyn and his allies are expected to again block the premier from holding a snap election in a crunch vote tonight.
Ministers are hunting for a way out of the trap, with claims they could sidestep the Remainer law by sending the required letter asking for an extension, alongside another one demanding the bloc ignores the request.
However, Labour former Lord Chancellor Lord Charlie Falconer said that move could break the law – while ex-Cabinet minister David Gauke said the second letter would ‘carry no weight’.
Plaid Cymru leader Liz Saville Roberts said breaking the law should result in his impeachment by Parliament.
Mr Johnson himself backed such a move against Tony Blair in 2004, but the mechanism is has never been successfully used against a PM.
Eurosceptics have been ramping up pressure on Mr Johnson to stick to his promise not to delay the UK’s departure.
Some suggested on a private WhatsApp group that he should simply ignore the legislation.
And Conservative MP Andrew Bridgen told MailOnline today that becoming a ‘martyr to democracy’ could be Mr Johnson’s only option.
Mr Johnson said he believed it was possible to get a new agreement by October 18 – before the crunch comes on the law.
‘I want to find a deal,’ he said. ‘I have looked carefully at No Deal. Yes, we could do it, the UK could certainly get through it, but be in no doubt that outcome would be a failure of statecraft for which we would all be responsible.
‘I would overwhelmingly prefer to find an agreement. I do believe that a deal can be done by October 18 so let’s do it together.’
Mr Johnson and Mr Varadkar (pictured right) sat down for talks at the Irish government’s HQ in Dublin this morning
Mr Johnson bunkered down in Chevening, the Foreign Secretary’s country residence, yesterday to wargame the Brexit crisis with his closest aides. The group is understood to have included chief strategist Dominic Cummings (pictured outside his London home last week)
He added that he had an ‘abundance’ of proposals for how a soft border could be maintained between Northern Ireland and the Republic, while protecting the sovereignty of the UK.
‘I think we can achieve these things while allowing the UK to withdraw whole and entire from the EU,’ he said.
‘Strip away the politics and at the core of each problem you find practical issues that can be resolved with sufficient energy and a spirit of compromise.’
Speaking yesterday, ahead of the meeting, Mr Varadkar said he did not expect a breakthrough.
‘I don’t think the meeting tomorrow is a high stakes meeting, as I don’t anticipate a big breakthrough tomorrow, if we come to an agreement that agreement will happen in October at the EU summit,’ Mr Varadkar said.
The Irish Government has consistently stressed that negotiations on Brexit will only take place between the UK and the EU27, and the meeting will be about ‘sharing ideas’ rather than negotiating bilaterally on the UK leaving the EU.
‘It will be an opportunity to get to know each other a little bit better, to see if there is common ground, I’m sure there will be,’ Mr Varadkar added.
In comments issued yesterday which may queer the pitch for the meeting, the Taaoiseach reminded journalists Mr Johnson one voted in favour of Theresa May’s deal.
He said: ‘I’d hope that an opportunity to share each other’s analysis and an opportunity to talk about some of the issues will be helpful,’ he continued.
‘I am conscious that Prime Minister Johnson did vote for the backstop at one point, and has taken a different position since then.
‘The situation in the UK is very fluid at the moment, Prime Minister May, with a parliamentary majority was not able to get a deal through the House of Commons.’
He added he would ask for evidence from the Prime Minister that he was ‘actually capable or has the votes to get a deal through’, in a reference to his dwindling minority government.
And with a nod to Johnson’s ‘die in a ditch’ promise, he said: ‘It’s important we remember that this is not about politicians, it’s about protecting people’s jobs, business and peace and security,’ he said.
‘If an extension is required to do that, well I think any politician should be prepared to do that.’
There has been much public interest in the meeting, with former secretary of state for Northern Ireland, and Labour MP Peter Mandelson, speaking on Ireland’s national broadcaster RTE telling the Taoiseach: ‘not to be taken in’ and ‘don’t be conned’ by Mr Johnson.
Sir Keir Starmer, Labour’s shadow Brexit secretary, speaking ahead of the meeting released a statement saying that the British government intends to ‘backtrack on solemn commitments made to the people of Northern Ireland’.
‘Those commitments were the foundation of an agreement with the EU that would protect the peace process and avoid a hard border in Northern Ireland,’ Mr Starmer said.
‘When Boris Johnson meets the Irish Prime Minister, he must make absolutely clear there will be no rowing back and the Government will not take the negotiations down such a reckless path.’
source:dailymail