Theresa May clashed with her Brexit secretary as a deepening row over the UK remaining tied to EU customs rules permanently threatened to wreck her hopes of a successful deal.
Dominic Raab insisted the planned “backstop” to avoid a hard border in Ireland – the key hurdle to a withdrawal agreement – must be “time-limited” or it would be rejected by parliament.
Instead, her spokeswoman said only that it must be “temporary”, a much looser word that – pro-Brexit MPs fear – will leave the UK locked into an effective customs union for many years to come.
The clash came after The Independent revealed that Andrea Leadsom, the Commons leader, is prepared to resign if the compromise is made, with other cabinet ministers believed to be ready to follow her.
Esther McVey, the work and pensions secretary, Penny Mordaunt, the international development secretary, and even Liam Fox, the international trade secretary, are also on “resignation watch”.
Underlining Ms May’s dilemma, the Irish government described any attempt to put a time limit on the backstop as a “deal-breaker” – insisting it would never risk the “corrosive impact of a physical border re-emerging”.
Simon Coveney, Ireland’s deputy prime minister, also predicted a deal on the backstop would not be reached at next week’s crucial EU summit because the UK’s proposals were not ready.
Meanwhile, the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), which is propping up the Conservatives in power, stepped up its pressure on Ms May by urging her to show EU negotiators the door.
The row over the customs backstop burst out into the open when the prime minister’s spokeswoman was asked if the reworked proposals, being negotiated in Brussels, would have “an end date” and be “time-limited”.
A June paper stated it should be “time-limited”, but the spokeswoman repeatedly refused to use the word, saying only that “the arrangement would be temporary”.
1/14
Internal divisions in the Conservative Party have exploded into a bitter public row over Boris Johnson‘s “disgusting” criticism of Theresa May.
Some senior Tories furiously denounced the former foreign secretary after he accused the prime minister of having ”wrapped a suicide vest” around Britain
Reuters
2/14 Sajid Javid, Home secretary
Sajid Javid, the home secretary, rebuked his former cabinet colleague and said: “I think there are much better ways to articulate your differences.”
He told the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show that the public wanted politicians to use “measured language”
BBC/PA
3/14
But other MPs leapt to Mr Johnson’s defence, as dividing lines ahead of a possible leadership contest begin to take shape. The Uxbridge MP has repeatedly criticised Ms May’s Chequers plan and used a newspaper article on Sunday to suggest it amounted to “wrapping a suicide vest around the British constitution”. His latest salvo at the prime minister prompted immediate condemnation, with one minister publicly vowing to end Mr Johnson’s career over the matter
PA
4/14 Alan Duncan, Foreign minister
Alan Duncan, a foreign minister who worked in Mr Johnson’s team for two years, wrote on Twitter: “For Boris to say the PM’s view is like that of a suicide bomber is too much. This marks one of the most disgusting moments in modern British politics.
“I’m sorry, but this is the political end of Boris Johnson. If it isn’t now, I will make sure it is later.”
Getty
5/14 James Brokenshire, Housing secretary
Housing secretary James Brokenshire added his voice to the criticism, calling Mr Johnson’s comments ”wrong”
He said: “I think he is wrong on this...I think the tone that he has used isn’t right and I think that we just need to be very focused on actually moving forward with the Chequers plan.”
AFP/Getty
6/14 Zac Goldsmith
But as Tory hostilities spilled over into open public warfare, Richmond Park MP Zac Goldsmith, an ally of Mr Johnson, hit back at Mr Duncan.
He wrote: “There are a number of possible motives behind this tweet, but given its author, we can be certain ‘principles’ aren’t one of them.”
Getty
7/14 Jacob Rees-Mogg
Senior Tory Brexiteer Jacob Rees-Mogg told The Independent he thought Mr Johnson’s “suicide belt” accusation was little more than “a characteristically colourful catchphrase”.
He added: “I agree with the sentiment. The criticism of Boris’s wording merely serves to highlight his point. It means more people hear of Boris’s criticism of Chequers and many will agree with him.”
Reuters
8/14 Nadine Dorries
Nadine Dorries, another Brexit supporter, said Mr Johnson’s opponents were “terrified of his popular appeal”, adding: “Don’t underestimate the vitriol that’ll be directed towards Boris today. He delivered the Leave vote, Remainers and wannabe future PMs hate him.”
If Mr Johnson became leader and prime minister he would deliver a “clean and prosperous” Brexit, she said
Rex
9/14 Andrew Bridgen
Andrew Bridgen said Ms May was to blame for her leadership problems.
Asked if Mr Johnson had put a bomb under her leadership, Mr Bridgen said: “I think that Theresa May did that herself when she put forward the Chequers proposals without consulting widely prior to that.”
10/14 Steve Baker, former Brexit minister
Steve Baker, the former Brexit minister, warned Ms May the Conservatives faced a "catastrophic split" if she did not jettison her Chequers plan.
Mr Baker, who quit the government in July over the scheme, said: “When negotiating, the prime minister needs to demonstrate her intent and also her power to deliver.
"If we come out of conference with her hoping to get Chequers through on the back of Labour votes, I think the EU negotiators would probably understand that if that were done, the Tory party would suffer the catastrophic split which thus far we have managed to avoid.”
But he insisted he did not want a change in the Conservative leadership, saying Brexiteers did “not want to be in a position of conflict with our own prime minister”
Reuters
11/14 Tom Tugendhat
The deep divisions on the Tory benches were laid bare as Tom Tugendhat, who chairs the Commons foreign affairs committee and is a possible leadership rival to Mr Johnson, also hit out at the former foreign secretary.
Recalling how he encountered a suicide bomber in Afghanistan during his time in the army, Mr Tugendhat told Mr Johnson to “grow up”.
He said: “A suicide bomber murdered many in the courtyard of my office in Helmand. The carnage was disgusting, limbs and flesh hanging from trees and bushes. Brave men who stopped him killing me and others died in horrific pain.
“Some need to grow up. Comparing the PM to that isn’t happy.”
PA
12/14 Alistair Burt
Alistair Burt, another Foreign Office minister who worked in Mr Johnson’s team, said: “I’m stunned at the nature of this attack. There is no justification for such an outrageous, inappropriate and hurtful analogy.
“If we don’t stop his extraordinary use of language over Brexit, our country might never heal. Again, I say, enough.”
AFP/Getty
13/14
It comes amid that Ms May’s former aides drew up a dossier on Mr Johnson’s sexual encounters with the aim of undermining his leadership prospects.
The document was compiled in 2016, when the Uxbridge and South Ruislip MP was seen as the main rival to Ms May in her bid to enter No 10.
Downing Street and Conservative Campaign Headquaters (CCHQ) both denied having leaked the 4,000 word memo after it was circulated around Westminster
AFP/Getty
14/14
Mr Johnson confirmed that his 25-year marriage to wife Marina had ended
AP
1/14
Internal divisions in the Conservative Party have exploded into a bitter public row over Boris Johnson‘s “disgusting” criticism of Theresa May.
Some senior Tories furiously denounced the former foreign secretary after he accused the prime minister of having ”wrapped a suicide vest” around Britain
Reuters
2/14 Sajid Javid, Home secretary
Sajid Javid, the home secretary, rebuked his former cabinet colleague and said: “I think there are much better ways to articulate your differences.”
He told the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show that the public wanted politicians to use “measured language”
BBC/PA
3/14
But other MPs leapt to Mr Johnson’s defence, as dividing lines ahead of a possible leadership contest begin to take shape. The Uxbridge MP has repeatedly criticised Ms May’s Chequers plan and used a newspaper article on Sunday to suggest it amounted to “wrapping a suicide vest around the British constitution”. His latest salvo at the prime minister prompted immediate condemnation, with one minister publicly vowing to end Mr Johnson’s career over the matter
PA
4/14 Alan Duncan, Foreign minister
Alan Duncan, a foreign minister who worked in Mr Johnson’s team for two years, wrote on Twitter: “For Boris to say the PM’s view is like that of a suicide bomber is too much. This marks one of the most disgusting moments in modern British politics.
“I’m sorry, but this is the political end of Boris Johnson. If it isn’t now, I will make sure it is later.”
Getty
5/14 James Brokenshire, Housing secretary
Housing secretary James Brokenshire added his voice to the criticism, calling Mr Johnson’s comments ”wrong”
He said: “I think he is wrong on this...I think the tone that he has used isn’t right and I think that we just need to be very focused on actually moving forward with the Chequers plan.”
AFP/Getty
6/14 Zac Goldsmith
But as Tory hostilities spilled over into open public warfare, Richmond Park MP Zac Goldsmith, an ally of Mr Johnson, hit back at Mr Duncan.
He wrote: “There are a number of possible motives behind this tweet, but given its author, we can be certain ‘principles’ aren’t one of them.”
Getty
7/14 Jacob Rees-Mogg
Senior Tory Brexiteer Jacob Rees-Mogg told The Independent he thought Mr Johnson’s “suicide belt” accusation was little more than “a characteristically colourful catchphrase”.
He added: “I agree with the sentiment. The criticism of Boris’s wording merely serves to highlight his point. It means more people hear of Boris’s criticism of Chequers and many will agree with him.”
Reuters
8/14 Nadine Dorries
Nadine Dorries, another Brexit supporter, said Mr Johnson’s opponents were “terrified of his popular appeal”, adding: “Don’t underestimate the vitriol that’ll be directed towards Boris today. He delivered the Leave vote, Remainers and wannabe future PMs hate him.”
If Mr Johnson became leader and prime minister he would deliver a “clean and prosperous” Brexit, she said
Rex
9/14 Andrew Bridgen
Andrew Bridgen said Ms May was to blame for her leadership problems.
Asked if Mr Johnson had put a bomb under her leadership, Mr Bridgen said: “I think that Theresa May did that herself when she put forward the Chequers proposals without consulting widely prior to that.”
10/14 Steve Baker, former Brexit minister
Steve Baker, the former Brexit minister, warned Ms May the Conservatives faced a "catastrophic split" if she did not jettison her Chequers plan.
Mr Baker, who quit the government in July over the scheme, said: “When negotiating, the prime minister needs to demonstrate her intent and also her power to deliver.
"If we come out of conference with her hoping to get Chequers through on the back of Labour votes, I think the EU negotiators would probably understand that if that were done, the Tory party would suffer the catastrophic split which thus far we have managed to avoid.”
But he insisted he did not want a change in the Conservative leadership, saying Brexiteers did “not want to be in a position of conflict with our own prime minister”
Reuters
11/14 Tom Tugendhat
The deep divisions on the Tory benches were laid bare as Tom Tugendhat, who chairs the Commons foreign affairs committee and is a possible leadership rival to Mr Johnson, also hit out at the former foreign secretary.
Recalling how he encountered a suicide bomber in Afghanistan during his time in the army, Mr Tugendhat told Mr Johnson to “grow up”.
He said: “A suicide bomber murdered many in the courtyard of my office in Helmand. The carnage was disgusting, limbs and flesh hanging from trees and bushes. Brave men who stopped him killing me and others died in horrific pain.
“Some need to grow up. Comparing the PM to that isn’t happy.”
PA
12/14 Alistair Burt
Alistair Burt, another Foreign Office minister who worked in Mr Johnson’s team, said: “I’m stunned at the nature of this attack. There is no justification for such an outrageous, inappropriate and hurtful analogy.
“If we don’t stop his extraordinary use of language over Brexit, our country might never heal. Again, I say, enough.”
AFP/Getty
13/14
It comes amid that Ms May’s former aides drew up a dossier on Mr Johnson’s sexual encounters with the aim of undermining his leadership prospects.
The document was compiled in 2016, when the Uxbridge and South Ruislip MP was seen as the main rival to Ms May in her bid to enter No 10.
Downing Street and Conservative Campaign Headquaters (CCHQ) both denied having leaked the 4,000 word memo after it was circulated around Westminster
AFP/Getty
14/14
Mr Johnson confirmed that his 25-year marriage to wife Marina had ended
AP
She attempted to head off a backlash by adding: “The prime minister would never agree to a deal which would trap the UK in a backstop permanently.”
The spokeswoman also insisted the UK would insist that a replacement for the backstop “needs to be in place by the end of December 2021 at the latest”.
However, without a legal requirement for that to happen, written into the Brexit withdrawal deal, it would depend on the EU agreeing later that as-yet-unproven technology has produced a solution.
If it refused, the Irish backstop would then lock the entire UK permanently into an effective customs union, unable to sign its own trade deals, many Tories fear.
A few hours later, Mr Raab directly challenged No 10, saying: “It would have to be finite, it would have to be short and it would have to be, I think, time-limited in order for it to be supported here.
“What we cannot do is see the UK locked in via the backdoor to a customs union arrangement which would leave us in an indefinite limbo. That would not be leaving the EU.”
Downing Street insisted there was no divergence, arguing “temporary” effectively meant “time-limited”, but Brexiteers view the absence of an end date as crucial.
One said: “Income tax was introduced as a temporary measure to meet the cost of the Napoleonic wars, yet it’s still with us.”
No 10 also did not deny a report that the Brexit negotiations were exploring a possible extension of the transition period – under which the UK is due to abide by EU rules until the end of 2020.
Such a plan would be designed to convince the DUP to agree to the backstop on the grounds that it will never come into force.
The government is also believed to be pushing for a “review clause” that could bring an end to the backstop, but its legal strength is unclear.
The dropping of an end date was attacked by Steve Baker, a leading Brexiteer Tory, who said it risked “effectively committing the UK to membership of the single market and customs union”.
“That won’t wash. The British people voted to take back control over money, laws borders and trade,” the former Brexit minister said.
And Nigel Dodds, the DUP’s deputy leader, said the U-turn would be “unacceptable”, tweeting: “On many occasions both the PM and the Brexit secretary said the backstop would be time-limited. This is critical.”
He also hinted at further clashes, saying: “I think there could be developments over the weekend in terms of the government’s own position and the cabinet.”
The Independent has launched its #FinalSay campaign to demand that voters are given a voice on the final Brexit deal.
Theresa May clashes with Brexit secretary over customs union 'time limit' as fears of cabinet resignations rise
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October 12, 2018
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