Boris Johnson giving his maiden House of Commons speech as prime minister. Photo / AP
Boris Johnson giving his maiden House of Commons speech as prime minister. Photo / AP
Boris Johnson has been accused by the EU's chief Brexit negotiator of laying down "unacceptable" terms for talks on a new exit deal, setting the scene for months of bruising clashes between Brussels and the new British prime minister.
Michel Barnier wrote to 27 EU member states warning that Johnson's"rather combative speech" to the House of Commons on Thursday had raised the risk of no-deal Brexit, and urging them to hold their nerve.
Johnson, in his first statement to MPs since entering 10 Downing Street on Wednesday, demanded the "abolition" of the controversial Irish border backstop, which is at the heart of the exit deal agreed by his predecessor Theresa May.
Rather than softening his tone ahead of new talks with Brussels, Johnson stepped up his warnings that Britain would leave without a deal on October 31, promising to "turbo-charge" preparations for a disorderly exit, including a big public information campaign.
Johnson gave the impression that he was waiting for the EU to accept his demand that the withdrawal treaty be ripped up before he would open talks — a confrontational position not well received in Brussels.
The prime minister, who promised that a "golden age" awaited Britain once Brexit was delivered, said: "If an agreement is to be reached it must be clearly understood that the way to the deal goes by way of the abolition of the backstop."
Michel Barnier, EU chief negotiator. Photo / Getty Images
He said he would be willing to talk "on this basis", insisting that the insurance policy against a hard border in Ireland was unnecessary and could be dealt with in the months ahead as part of talks on a future trade deal.
Johnson's upbeat promise to make Britain "the greatest place on earth" was cheered by Tory MPs as they embarked on their summer holidays, but it sent a shudder through the corridors of Brussels.
Referring to Johnson's repeated insistence on removing the backstop, Barnier wrote: "This is of course unacceptable and not within the mandate of the European Council."
The message was reinforced by Jean-Claude Juncker, the outgoing European Commission president, in a telephone call with Johnson in which he told the prime minister the existing withdrawal agreement was "the best and only agreement possible".
Barnier wrote that Brussels was "ready to work constructively, within our own mandate" with the UK, and would analyse any British idea that was compatible with the 585-page exit treaty that Theresa May agreed on with Brussels.
He also hinted at the parliamentary resistance to no-deal that Brussels expects Britain's new prime minister to face, noting the "many strong reactions to the speech in the House of Commons".
"In this context we must follow carefully the further political and economic reactions and developments in the UK following this speech," Barnier wrote, hinting that he felt that domestic opposition might force Johnson to drop his no-deal threat.
Johnson and Juncker agreed to exchange mobile phone numbers, heralding an unusually busy period of EU summer diplomacy.
Written by: George Parker, Robert Wright and Jim Brunsden
