Boris Johnson has escalated a war of words with Donald Tusk ahead of their G& meeting on Sunday, by warning the EU that it would be responsible for a no-deal-Brexit if it fails to scrap the Northern
Ireland backstop.
Speaking to reporters on the plane to Biarritz, the PM said: “I have made it absolutely clear I don’t want a no-deal Brexit.
“But I say to our friends in the EU, if they don’t want a no-deal
Brexit then we have got to get rid of the backstop from the treaty.”"If Donald Tusk doesn’t want to go down as Mr No-Deal Brexit, I hope that point will be borne in mind by him too.”— Paul Waugh (@paulwaugh) August 24, 2019Johnson also fired back at comments Tusk made earlier on Saturday when he said he hoped the prime minister would not go down in history as “Mr no-deal”.
The PM said: “If Donald Tusk doesn’t want to go down as ‘Mr no-deal Brexit’ then I hope that point will be borne in mind by him too.”
Johnson is expected to set out his plans for Brexit in talks with Tusk, building on visits in recent days to the leaders of Germany and France.
Speaking at the summit in
France before Johnson’s arrival, the former Polish prime minister said: “He will be the third British Conservative prime minister with whom I will discuss Brexit.
“The EU was always open to co-operation when David Cameron wanted to avoid Brexit, when Theresa May wanted to avoid a no-deal Brexit, and we will also be ready now to hold serious talks with Prime Minister Johnson.
“One thing I will not co-operate on is no-deal. I still hope that prime minster Johnson will not like to go down in history as ‘Mr no-deal’.
“We are willing to listen to ideas that are operational, realistic and acceptable to all member states including Ireland, if and when the
UK government is ready to put them on the table.”
On board his RAF plane to the summit, Johnson also hit back at Tusk’s famous line that there was a ‘special place in hell for those who promoted Brexit without even a sketch of a plan’.
Asked to respond to a jibe that had been clear directed at himself and other leaders of the Vote Leave campaign in the EU
referendum, Johnson had a barb of his own.
“I have great relations with our friends and partners in the EU and intend to continue to improve them the whole time without getting into any post-Brexit eschatology [the theology of death] with the president of the council,” he said.At the
G7 I’m going to be standing up for what we in the UK believe in 🇬🇧#TeamUK#G7pic.twitter.com/sF0mvkZqJg—
Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) August 24, 2019Before setting off for the coastal resort of Biarritz, Johnson warned Brexit critics they are “gravely mistaken” about the UK losing its place on the world stage as he prepared for his first international summit and trade talks with US president Donald Trump.Related... Let's All Take A Breath And Consider How Absolutely Insane Donald Trump's Week Has Been How Boris Johnson Plans To Woo Trump At His First G7 Summit