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Boris Johnson has been accused of engaging in \u201cstupid blame game\u201d after Downing Street claimed the EU had made a Brexit deal \u201cimpossible\u201d.<\/p>\nBoris Johnson has been accused of engaging in \u201cstupid blame game\u201d after Downing Street claimed the EU had made a Brexit deal \u201cimpossible\u201d.<\/p>\n
Downing Street sources claimed German chancellor Angela Merkel had made clear that an agreement was now \u201coverwhelmingly unlikely\u201d.<\/p>\n
Following a telephone call with Boris Johnson, she was said to have insisted the Irish must have a veto over Northern Ireland leaving the customs union.<\/p>\n
The claims provoked a furious response from European Council president Donald Tusk who accused him of jeopardizing the future security of the EU and the UK.<\/p>\n
\u201cBoris Johnson, what\u2019s at stake is not winning some stupid blame game,\u201d he tweeted.<\/p>\n
\u201cAt stake is the future of Europe and the UK as well as the security and interests of our people.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou don\u2019t want a deal, you don\u2019t want an extension, you don\u2019t want to revoke, quo vadis?\u201d<\/p>\n
The British Prime Minister\u2019s official spokesman confirmed that there had been a \u201cfrank exchange\u201d of views with the German chancellor, but refused to be drawn any further on the \u201csource\u201d claims.<\/p>\n
Amid the dramatic escalation in the war of words between London and Brussels, there was apparent alarm among some UK ministers at the prospect the Government could withdraw security co-operation with the EU if it tries to stop the UK leaving in a no-deal Brexit at the end of the month.<\/p>\n
Northern Ireland Secretary Julian Smith said: \u201cI am clear that any threat on withdrawing security co-operation with Ireland is unacceptable.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Prime Minister\u2019s spokesman insisted however that Mr Johnson had consistently made plain the UK continued to have \u201ca close security partnership with our EU colleagues\u201d.<\/p>\n
The row comes after EU leaders made clear that Mr Johnson\u2019s plan to resolve issue of the Northern Ireland backstop was not a basis for an agreement.<\/p>\n
A no 10 source said Mrs Merkel had told the Prime Minister that the UK could not leave the EU without leaving Northern Ireland behind in a customs union with the EU.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was a very useful clarifying moment in all sorts of ways,\u201d the unnamed source, quoted by Sky News, said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf this represents a new established position, then it means a deal is essentially impossible, not just now but ever.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt also made clear that they are willing to torpedo the Good Friday Agreement.\u201d<\/p>\n
Their call followed an overnight briefing to The Spectator magazine from an unnamed No 10 source warning any attempt by the EU to prevent Britain leaving at the end of October would be treated as \u201chostile interference\u201d in UK politics.<\/p>\n
It was said to have been made clear that defense and security co-operation with the EU would be affected if it tried to keep Britain in against the will of the Government.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe will make clear privately and publicly that countries which oppose delay will go the front of the queue for future co-operation \u2013 co-operation on things both within and outside EU competences\u201d the source said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThose who support delay will go to the bottom of the queue. Supporting delay will be seen by this Government as hostile interference in domestic politics, and over half of the public will agree with us.\u201d<\/p>\n
The source also warned that negotiations with Brussels could collapse this week and blamed Taoiseach Leo Varadkar for refusing to engage.<\/p>\n
Former cabinet minister Amber Rudd, who quit the Government and the Tory Party over Brexit, said the Prime Minister\u2019s chief adviser Dominic Cummings appeared to be behind the briefing.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt reveals that there doesn\u2019t appear to be an actual plan at all,\u201d she told BBC Radio 4\u2019s Today program.<\/p>\n
\u201cInstead, what they\u2019re doing is angrily, apparently, begging the EU not to support a delay which will be required because of the position that Parliament has taken.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd I urgently would ask the Prime Minister to take control of this and give us some clarity and some dignity and diplomacy on what is taking place.\u201d<\/p>\n
Shadow Brexit secretary Keir Starmer said the comments were a \u201ccynical\u201d attempt by No 10 to \u201csabotage\u201d the negotiations.<\/p>\n
\u201cBoris Johnson will never take responsibility for his own failure to put forward a credible deal. His strategy from day one has been no-deal Brexit,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
T\u00e1naiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney said Mr Tusk\u2019s statement reflected the \u201cfrustration\u201d felt across the EU.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe remain open to finalize a fair Brexit deal but need a UK Government willing to work with EU to get it done,\u201d he tweeted.<\/p>\n
However DUP leader Arlene Foster said Mrs Merkel\u2019s reported comments showed the true objective of the EU and the Dublin was to permanently \u201ctrap\u201d Northern Ireland in a customs union.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor the United Kingdom to be asked to leave a part of its sovereign territory in a foreign organisation of which the UK would no longer be a part and over which we would have no say whatsoever is beyond crazy,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo UK government could ever concede such a surrender.\u201d<\/p>\n
A European Commission spokeswoman said the EU\u2019s position had not changed.<\/p>\n
She told a briefing in Brussels: \u201cWe want a deal.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are working for a deal with the United Kingdom.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd under no circumstances will we accept that the EU wants to do harm to the Good Friday Agreement.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe purpose of our work is to protect it.\u201d<\/p>\n