Boris back from the brink: Foreign Secretary says Cabinet is like a 'nest of singing birds' as he insists he'll STAY in his job and help Theresa May deliver a 'fantastic' Brexit
- Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson could quit by the weekend, his friends say
- But publicly Mr Johnson insists he is not going to resign from the Cabinet
- He insisted the Cabinet is united like a 'nest of singing birds' with Theresa May
- Mrs May backed him to stay in her Cabinet saying 'Boris is doing good work'
- Pair have still not come face to face - despite both being in New York for the UN
- Came after his controversial Brexit article thrust Cabinet splits into public view
Boris Johnson dramatically pulled back from the brink of resignation last night as he publicly insisted that he backed Theresa May on Brexit.
After days of prevarication, in which he hinted he could walk out as Foreign Secretary, Mr Johnson indicated he had shelved immediate thoughts of quitting.
Asked if he was going to resign, he said: ‘No of course not, we are going to deliver a fantastic Brexit... We are a Government working together. We are a nest of singing birds.’
Boris Johnson, picture in a hotel lift in new York today, insisted he is not going to resign as Foreign Secretary as he said the Cabinet is united behind the PM over Brexit like a 'nest of singing birds'
Columbia's President Juan Manuel Santos, left, shows a thumbs up and blanks Boris, right, from the handshake he attempts to initiate, as the past each other riding an escalator during the United Nations General Assembly
Theresa May, pictured at the UN headquarters in New York today, told reporters she backs Boris Johnson to stay on as Foreign Secretary despite his friends warning he could quit by the end of the week if she does not bow to his demands over Brexit
Theresa May, pictured at the UN's HQ in New York today, said 'Boris is doing good work' heading up the Foreign Office and insisted the Cabinet is united and 'focused' on delivering the best Brexit deal for Britain
His apparent climbdown came after reports that he was so unhappy about the Government’s direction on Brexit that he could resign by the weekend.
Instead, sources last night confirmed that Mr Johnson would now attend the Prime Minister’s set-piece speech in Florence on Friday where she is due to set out ‘significant’ new thinking on her negotiating strategy.
Mr Johnson was also due to hold peace talks with Mrs May last night in the margins of a Commonwealth reception in New York – the first time they have spoken since he published an unauthorised 4,000-word essay on Britain’s post-Brexit future last week.
But Government sources, who have been braced for a walkout by Mr Johnson, indicated he remained on ‘resignation watch’.
A dramatic 24 hours began on Monday night when Mr Johnson hinted he was toying at resignation, saying: ‘When the burden of office is lifted from my shoulders I will of course look back with great pride on my time doing all sorts of things.’
Speculation reached fever pitch yesterday lunchtime when a friend told the Daily Telegraph that he ‘could not live with’ a deal that would see the UK shackled to the single market, like Switzerland.
However Mr Johnson, who was cornered by journalists in New York after going out for a jog, then insisted he was not about to quit, and added: ‘It’s all going very, very well.’
The PM’s official spokesman also insisted he did not expect the Foreign Secretary to resign this week. ‘He’s the Foreign Secretary and the PM thinks he’s doing a good job,’ he said.
Mrs May also backed him to stay in her Government, telling reporters that ‘Boris is doing good work’ heading the Foreign Office and adding that the Cabinet has ‘one focus’ over Brexit.
The Prime Minister has summoned an extraordinary meeting of the Cabinet tomorrow to brief ministers on her Florence speech.
Its precise contents currently remain a carefully guarded secret. But No 10 yesterday indicated that the PM is planning a major reset of the Government’s position.
Speaking in New York, where he is due to have a showdown with the Prime Minister today, he suggested he was toying with quitting
Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson (pictured with President Donald Trump on Monday) speculated about his future in government
Her spokesman said: ‘Clearly this is a significant moment in terms of progress on our future relationship with Europe.’ Mrs May hopes to use the speech to break the deadlock in the Brexit negotiations and kickstart talks on a new trade deal.
She is expected to formally set out plans for a transitional deal with the EU, which would see the UK continue to make budget contributions to Brussels for around two years.
Boris Johnson would already have been sacked if Theresa May was not weakened after the election, Tory grandee Ken Clarke (file image) claimed today
Cabinet sources say ministers have agreed an uneasy truce on the arrangement. But divisions remain on the UK’s future relationship with Europe.
Pro-Remain ministers, including Chancellor Philip Hammond and Home Secretary Amber Rudd, are pushing for a Swiss-style deal that would keep the UK shackled to the single market.
But Brexiteers, including Mr Johnson and Environment Secretary Michael Gove, want a much looser deal focusing on trade, similar to the one enjoyed by Canada.
Relations between Mr Johnson and Mrs May remain in the deep freeze. Despite the fact the pair are staying in the same hotel in New York, they have not spoken since Mr Johnson released his essay last week, which set out a positive case for making a clean break with the EU.
The row has overshadowed the build-up to Mrs May’s pivotal speech this week.
Former Chancellor Kenneth Clarke yesterday said Mr Johnson deserved to be sacked for his essay last week – and would have been if Mrs May had been stronger.
Mr Clarke described Mr Johnson’s intervention as an ‘irrelevant nuisance’. He added: ‘Sounding off personally in this way is totally unhelpful and he shouldn’t exploit the fact that (Theresa May) hasn’t got a majority in Parliament.’
But Eurosceptic Tories said Mr Johnson was right to make the positive case for Brexit.
Jacob Rees-Mogg said he should be ‘given a knighthood for it, certainly not sacked’.
He added: ‘Boris Johnson is grasping the positivity of it and putting that forward to the British people in full support of Mrs May.
‘I don’t think it is undermining her. The Foreign Secretary has responsibility for foreign affairs and as that includes our relationship with the EU it is reasonable for him to make speeches on that.
‘It’s a really important speech and it’s changed the whole tone of the debate. At last we’re thinking about how we’re going to prosper outside of EU rather than this “poor little Blighty” approach.’
Mrs May (pictured yesterday with Canadian PM Justin Trudeau) will fly back from her visit to America tomorrow tonight and then convene a special Cabinet on her speech
Mr Johnson's father suggested his son was unhappy with the Government's position on Brexit ahead of a major speech by Mrs May (pictured with Justin Trudeau on Monday)
At a joint press conference with Mrs May in Ottawa yesterday, Canadian PM Justin Trudeau said he wanted a new trade deal with the EU, which comes into force this week, to continue in all but name with the UK after 2019.
The Canadian deal, known as Ceta, took seven years to negotiate.
Mr Trudeau said there was no reason for it to be interrupted by the UK's exit from the EU.
'Within the EU, the UK is the largest trading partner that Canada has,' he said.
'The UK was deeply involved throughout this negotiation toward Ceta in the past seven years. It will form the basis for the way we move forward in the post-Brexit Europe.
'We are very confident we are going to be able to continue strong trade ties and commercial relationships.'
So what it his game? As Boris sparks speculation of a leadership challenge, we look at what was behind five days of drama
Analysis by Jack Doyle
What happened: At 10pm a Boris bombshell lands in the form of a 4,000-word article for the Daily Telegraph. Striking an upbeat tone about Britain’s ‘glorious’ prospects outside the EU, he rejects the idea of paying billions for access to the single market, makes clear his opposition to a lengthy transition and repeats the Leave campaign’ claim of taking back control over £350million a week.
Analysis: Why did he do it? After sticking loyally by the Prime Minister after the election, Mr Johnson has apparently become worried about Brexit going wrong and him carrying the can. He wants to inject some positivity into the Government’s case and is angry that a meeting about Mrs May’s crucial Florence speech was held while he was in the Caribbean. His detractors suggest that his timing – in the aftermath of Parsons Green – is questionable.
Mr Johnson repeated his concerns about the dangers of being dragged into a long transitional deal
Saturday
What happened: Stung by criticism of his article and claims it was the prelude for a leadership challenge, Mr Johnson tweets his support for the Prime Minister. He says he is looking forward to her big speech on Friday. ‘All behind Theresa for a glorious Brexit,’ he says.
Analysis: Downing Street’s attempts to insist the Government is united prove futile. Mr Johnson’s allies deny he is launching a leadership challenge and brief Sunday newspapers that he has support from prominent Leavers, including Michael Gove and Priti Patel.
Sunday
What happened: Home Secretary Amber Rudd slaps Mr Johnson down on the Andrew Marr show, accusing him of backseat driving. Head of the statistics watchdog Sir David Norgrove rebukes him over the £350million claim, but the Foreign Secretary accuses Sir David of distorting his words.
Analysis: Mrs May’s closest allies – Miss Rudd and First Secretary of State Damian Green – take to the airways to reassert her authority. Officials suggest the Prime Minister and her Foreign Secretary will hold peace talks in the US on Wednesday. But it is clear she cannot or will not sack Mr Johnson because doing so would shatter fragile Tory unity.
Monday
What happened: Mr Gove reportedly distances himself from Mr Johnson. An ally tells The Times: ‘If there was a suicide pact of that nature, you’d think Boris would have had the courtesy to tell us he was going to jump.’ Later Mr Gove tweets support for Mr Johnson amid the row over the £350million claim. Arriving in Canada, Mrs May plays down the split, saying: ‘Boris is Boris.’ But Mr Johnson refuses to rule out quitting, talking of a time ‘when the burden of office is lifted from my shoulders’.
Analysis: When asked if they are going to quit, Cabinet ministers would be expected to reply with a firm ‘no’. By refusing to do so, Mr Johnson reveals he is unsure about his future. Evidence of a Cabinet split emerges when former Leave campaign director Dominic Cummings suggests Mr Johnson is concerned the UK will adopt reams of EU regulations and pay into the EU’s budget after Brexit.
Yesterday
What happened: At midday a report suggests Mr Johnson could quit if Mrs May commits to the so-called ‘Swiss model’, agreeing to pay for access to the single market. But, when cornered by reporters outside a lift in New York, Mr Johnson issues a firm denial and insists the Cabinet is as united as ‘a nest of singing birds’.
Analysis: After five days in the spotlight, in which he appeared to be considering his future on an almost hourly basis, Mr Johnson steps back from the brink. But for how long? The next crunch point will be Thursday when the Cabinet will have to sign up to Mrs May’s Florence speech. If he doesn’t jump then, how long before he decides Brexit isn’t meeting the rhetoric of the Leave campaign and walks?
Most watched News videos
- Terrifying moment driver overtakes van and narrowly avoids crash
- Russian plane spiralling out of control crashes in sea in Crimea
- Camilla hands out gifts at Royal Maundy ceremony on behalf of King
- Queen Camilla greets children after traditional Maundy service
- Starmer and Rayner embrace as they launch election campaign
- Three men seen running out of Beckenham station after knife attack
- British man fighting for Putin posts video from Russia online
- 'Satan took over me': Hamas terrorist confesses of raping woman
- Tourist is filmed napping in his tent on the beach with a crocodile
- Hilarious moment King's Guard shout 'make way' at pigeons in London
- Police carry slingshots to defend themselves against crazed monkeys
- Police tape off Kennington station after 'multiple stabbings'