By Ben Kerrigan-
Jo Johnson has quit as transport minister over his claims that Brexit is going in the wrong direction and will end up being a terrible mistake.
The MP, who is Boris Johnson’s brother, joins a list of ministers who have resigned over the almost impossible negotiations that has accompanied Brexit for a long time now. The withdrawal deal currently being negotiated with the European Union “will be a terrible mistake”.
Johnson whose brother stepped down as Foreign Secretary in July, argued Britain was “on the brink of the greatest crisis” since World War Two. He argued that the offer wasn’t “anything like what was promised”.
Jo Johnson voted to remain in the EU in the 2016 referendum while his brother Boris, who quit as foreign secretary in July, was a leading Brexitier. His brother praised his decision, saying they were “united in dismay” at the PM’s handling of the negotiations. There are suspicions in Westminster that Johnson’s resignation was influenced by his brother who has been very vocal in his objections against Brexit talks.
Theresa May’s spokesman wasted no time in ruling out a second referendum. The Prime Minister’s spokesman said: “The referendum in 2016 was the biggest democratic exercise in this country’s history.
“We will not under any circumstances have a second referendum. The Prime Minister thanks Jo Johnson for his work in government.”
Brother, former Mayor of London, and Foreign Secretary, Boris Johnson has reacted to his brother’s departure as transport minister.
He wrote in a tweet: ”Boundless admiration as ever for my brother Jo. We may not have agreed about Brexit but we are united in dismay at the intellectually and politically indefensible of the UK position.”
“This is not taking back control. It is a surrender of control. It does not remotely correspond to the mandate of the people in June 2016.
DIFFICULT
Brexit talks has been frustratingly difficult for the most part of it. A glimmer of hope came last week after indications a deal might be met by the end of November. That was theoretical, but if the deal will be a horrifying one to far worsen the economic state for the British people, it needs revision.
There is no question it would be extremely foolish for Britain to strike a deal that would leave the country in a very weak position. Only a clear, workable deal that allows Britain to still want to thrive without compromising too much the perceived benefits.
Cabinet ministers have been invited this week to read the UK’s draft withdrawal deal with the EU. Theresa May has said the withdrawal deal is 95% done. However, there is no agreement yet on how to guarantee no hard border in Northern Ireland. On Friday the DUP refused to support a deal that is adverse to its interest. The DUP will not warm up to a deal that treats Ireland differently from the rest of the Uk.
MP for Orpington in Kent circulated a mail to journalists which said a narrow deal was being finalized in Brussels and Whitehall. Orpington says the choice being presented was a choice between two undesirable outcomes. That was to either back an agreement which would leave the UK “economically weakened with no say in the EU rules it must follow” or a “no-deal Brexit” which would “inflict untold damage on our nation”.
Johnson described this as “a failure of British statecraft unseen since the Suez crisis” but said even a no-deal Brexit “may well be better than the never-ending purgatory” being put forward by the prime minister.
But in a warning to his brother and fellow Brexiteers, he added: “Inflicting such serious economic and political harm on the country will leave an indelible impression of incompetence in the minds of the public”. The “democratic thing to do is to give the public the final say”, he argued.