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Theresa May to fly Boris Johnson back early from US to discuss Brexit Theresa May to fly Boris Johnson back early from US to discuss Brexit
(about 1 hour later)
Boris Johnson has changed his schedule to fly back from New York on the prime minister’s plane, before a specially convened cabinet meeting on Thursday morning to discuss Brexit.Boris Johnson has changed his schedule to fly back from New York on the prime minister’s plane, before a specially convened cabinet meeting on Thursday morning to discuss Brexit.
“Programmes permitting, the foreign secretary is flying back with us tonight,” May’s spokesman said, briefing journalists in New York. Johnson had been due to host an event on Somalia on Friday, on the sidelines of the UN general assembly. Theresa May’s visit to New York to attend the UN general assembly has been overshadowed by speculation about the foreign secretary’s future, after he penned a 4,000-word article setting out his personal perspective on the UK’s exit from the EU.
But May’s cabinet have been summoned to a rare Thursday meeting to discuss the text of her Brexit update speech in Florence, to be delivered on Friday morning. But after Johnson dismissed as a “snore-athon” reports he was considering resigning, the prime minister’s spokesman said the pair would travel back to London together.
Asked about a story in the Financial Times that May is preparing to offer to pay up to €20bn into the EU budget during a transition period to secure continued access to the single market and customs union, the spokesman said: “There has been much speculation in advance of this speech and I’m sure there will be much more, but it’s just that.” “Programmes permitting, the foreign secretary is flying back with us tonight,” May’s spokesman said, briefing journalists in New York. Johnson had been due to host an event on Somalia on Friday, on the sidelines of the general assembly.
Asked whether Johnson had threatened to resign, the spokesman said: “The prime minister has been clear that they’re all working together and they’re all heading in the same direction.” But the cabinet has been summoned to a rare Thursday meeting to discuss the text of the prime minister’s Brexit update speech in Florence, to be delivered on Friday morning.
Asked about a story in the Financial Times that May is preparing to offer to pay up to €20bn (£17.67bn) into the EU budget during a transition period, to secure continued access to the single market and customs union, the spokesman said: “There has been much speculation in advance of this speech and I’m sure there will be much more, but it’s just that.”
Johnson was understood to be concerned about aspects of a draft of the speech, and had the backing of some of his cabinet colleagues in rejecting the idea that contributions into the EU budget could continue after a transitional period.
Asked whether Johnson had threatened to resign after the furore over his article, the spokesman said: “The prime minister has been clear that they’re all working together and they’re all heading in the same direction.”
May, who will be flanked by Johnson and the chancellor, Philip Hammond, at the speech in Florence, hopes to persuade her fellow European Union leaders to allow Brexit talks to move beyond withdrawal issues, to Britain’s future relationship with the rest of the EU, when they meet in October.