Well, the Johnsons have certainly had a profound impact on this country in the last three years. Boris as we know was perhaps more responsible than any other person for bringing about a leave vote. Now his remain voting brother Jo has resigned as a junior transport minister in protest at the deal which is being finalised at the moment. His resignation statement is absolutely scathing about the deal and about Brexit. It will send tremors through the government. His full statement is in The Independent HERE but a few quotes are worth repeating:
"This is a con on the British people: there is no evidence that the kind of Brexit that we’ve failed to negotiate while we are still members can be magically agreed once the UK has lost its seat at the table. The leverage we have as a full member of the EU will have gone".
"To present the nation with a choice between two deeply unattractive outcomes, vassalage and chaos, is a failure of British statecraft on a scale unseen since the Suez crisis".
"Britain stands on the brink of the greatest crisis since the Second World War".
Boris has tweeted his support for his brother, both of whom have resigned from May's government:
It comes as the DUP say they will be unable to support the deal in any meaningful vote (HERE).
Jo Johnson's resignation may well encourage other moderate remainers to vote against the deal. If the PM cannot get the deal through parliament, MPs will effectively be daring the government to unleash the chaos of a no deal exit on the nation. I don't believe anybody in the cabinet would have the nerve to do it.
You can see why JoJO thinks we're on the brink of a great crisis. According to this report in The Guardian HERE some of the EU 27 want a week to scrutinise the draft agreement to make sure Barnier hasn't gone too far and in the new UK wide customs arrangement given us a competitive advantage. It seems that it isn't just Jo Johnson and the UK parliament which have reservations about the deal.
And in what is described as a "major setback" to the PM, the Huffington Post (HERE) also suggest the proposed arbitration mechanism that we have proposed and agreed with Barnier to oversee our extended period in the customs arrangement is unacceptable to the EU27.
I really cannot see a deal being agreed this month if at all.
By the way, off to York soon for another March on the People's vote and with Johnson's resignation there will no doubt be an extra spring in the step this morning.
By the way, off to York soon for another March on the People's vote and with Johnson's resignation there will no doubt be an extra spring in the step this morning.
