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You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/nov/16/boris-johnsons-brexit-vision-intellectually-impossible-eu-minister
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| Boris Johnson's Brexit vision 'intellectually impossible' – EU minister | Boris Johnson's Brexit vision 'intellectually impossible' – EU minister |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Boris Johnson is promising the British people a Brexit deal that is “intellectually impossible” and “politically unavailable”, according to the Dutch finance minister and Eurogroup president. | |
| Jeroen Dijsselbloem delivered a scathing attack on Johnson after the foreign secretary claimed the UK would probably be leaving the customs union while also seeking free trade with the EU and extra immigration controls. | Jeroen Dijsselbloem delivered a scathing attack on Johnson after the foreign secretary claimed the UK would probably be leaving the customs union while also seeking free trade with the EU and extra immigration controls. |
| Dijsselbloem told the BBC’s Newsnight: “I think he’s offering to the British people options that are really not available. For example, to say we could be inside the internal market but be outside the customs union, this is impossible, it just doesn’t exist. The opposite does exist. We have a customs union with Turkey but Turkey is not part of the internal market. | |
| “He’s saying things that are intellectually impossible, politically unavailable, so I think he’s not offering the British people a fair view of what is available and what can be achieved in these negotiations.” | “He’s saying things that are intellectually impossible, politically unavailable, so I think he’s not offering the British people a fair view of what is available and what can be achieved in these negotiations.” |
| Describing Brexit as a lose-lose situation, Dijsselbloem added: “It would be in my country’s interests and in European and British interests if the Brits would stay in the EU but I don’t think it’s going to happen. The next best option is to have as good an agreement as possible but the UK will be outside the single market and there will be some hindrances.” | Describing Brexit as a lose-lose situation, Dijsselbloem added: “It would be in my country’s interests and in European and British interests if the Brits would stay in the EU but I don’t think it’s going to happen. The next best option is to have as good an agreement as possible but the UK will be outside the single market and there will be some hindrances.” |
| Leaving the customs union would allow the UK to strike trade deals independently with non-EU countries but Whitehall has told cabinet ministers that it could seriously harm the economy by causing extra border checks and bureaucracy. | Leaving the customs union would allow the UK to strike trade deals independently with non-EU countries but Whitehall has told cabinet ministers that it could seriously harm the economy by causing extra border checks and bureaucracy. |
| Bill Morneau, the Canadian finance minister, told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that Canada would not be negotiating a trade deal with the UK until it is out of EU. | Bill Morneau, the Canadian finance minister, told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that Canada would not be negotiating a trade deal with the UK until it is out of EU. |
| Asked whether the pending Canada-EU free trade deal would automatically result in a Canada-Britain free trade deal on the same terms after Brexit, he said: “We’re going to respect the agreement that the UK has with Europe ... and stand ready to work together after that’s concluded.” | Asked whether the pending Canada-EU free trade deal would automatically result in a Canada-Britain free trade deal on the same terms after Brexit, he said: “We’re going to respect the agreement that the UK has with Europe ... and stand ready to work together after that’s concluded.” |
| Angela Merkel, the German chancellor, also appeared to be standing firm on defending the fundamental principle of free movement within the EU on Tuesday but conceded there could be room for further discussion around whether welfare benefits should be immediately available for life if an EU citizen moves to another member state. | Angela Merkel, the German chancellor, also appeared to be standing firm on defending the fundamental principle of free movement within the EU on Tuesday but conceded there could be room for further discussion around whether welfare benefits should be immediately available for life if an EU citizen moves to another member state. |